Disclaimer: I do not own ThunderCats. I only own my OCs for the purpose of this fanfic. This fanfic is inspired by the films 'Road to El Dorado' and 'Hunchback of Notre Dame', which I do not own.


It wasn't long until it was night-time.

As Muta promised, a feast was held in the Thundercats' honour. A huge, blazing bonfire was set up in the centre in the yard, which was apparently the main square for El Dara. Fresh dessert was decked out on tables of gold. The natives were a little livelier, talking in groups but still avoided the ThunderCats.

Speaking of the Thundercats, they gathered up after searching for the final stone.

"Any luck?" Lion-O asked.

Panthro, Tygra and Cheetara shook their heads.

"This is like finding a needle in a haystack." Cheetara remarked. "Or rather a stone in a pile of gold."

"I even dug in the piles of gold." Tygra commented while he poked a finger in his ear. "I think I got a month's supply stuck in my ears."

"This is worse than trying to find the first stone in the Elephant Village." Panthro moped. "At least there, the natives were friendly. No one will talk to us here."

"Well, we found plenty of treasure!" Kat grinned, patting the Forever Bag. His twin grinned also. "We're set for life!"

"You two were supposed to be looking for the stone, not treasure hunting!" Panthro scolded them. "Don't forget why we're here!"

The twins glared at him.

"Hey! El Dara was our idea first!" Kat pointed out.

"Yeah! We're here to help our mom!" Kit scoffed. "Besides, don't get your whiskers in a knot."

Kit unfurled the bundle she carried in her arms, revealing a small yet bountiful cutch of gems, each one shining in different colours and shapes.

"I found those gems. One of them could be the stone."

"Good work, Kit." Lion-O praised, poking at the gems.

"Which one is it?" Panthro demanded.

Kit's triumphant smile fell. "I don't know. It's hard to tell."

Lion-O stopped poking and sighed, his head lulling back. "We need the Book of Omens. Without it, we can't find the stone properly."

"But the Book of Omens is back in the Feliner." Cheetara said, worried.

"Back in the jungle." Tygra remarked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "I'd figured we would need the book, so I tried to cater a boat out to get it earlier, but a bunch of guards stopped me. Said I need permission from Muta."

"El Dara is looking less and less like a paradise, and more like a prison." Panthro noted grimly.

"I'll talk to Muta and get permission from him." Lion-O decided.

"Your majesty."

The ThunderCats turned to see a guard approaching Lion-O.

"Lord Muta wishes to see you."

Lion-O nodded and followed the guard. Snarf followed his master. Panthro and the twins drifted away to feast on the food and wine, leaving Tygra and Cheetara by themselves.

"You still haven't talked to him?" Cheetara questioned him.

Tygra shrugged bashfully. "There wasn't any opportunity to."

Cheetara frowned at him. "The longer you prolong it, the worse it's going to get."

"It's one thing to apologise for something that happened years ago, but it's another when that something turns up now with a bunch of lizards!" He suddenly exclaimed, startling his mate. Realising his mistake, he sighed, trying to calm down. "I just want to be cautious. There's no telling what side she's on. You saw her with those lizards."

"But those lizards could have nothing to do with Mumm-Ra's lizards." She reasoned.

"I just want answers from her. The next time we see her, we'll question her. I'll make amends with them. I promise."

He kissed her cheek, making her smile a little.

"While I was digging through gold, I found this." He added.

He pulled out something from behind his back. It was a beautiful golden necklace with a diamond-encrusted flower-like pendant that looked just like a Day Astrid. Cheetara gasped, dazzled by the most magnificent piece of jewellery she ever seen. But even so, she frowned at Tygra nonetheless.

"I won't be bought, Tygra."

"Yeah. But I hoped it would buy me a moment of your sweet time."

Tygra brushed Cheetara's long blonde locks and put the necklace around her neck. It fitted snuggly around her neck, the diamond-studded flower settled on her collarbone. Once the necklace was in place, Tygra hugged his cheetah mate from behind, placing his chin on her shoulder and closed his eyes, smiling like he was drunk on catnip. Cheetara chuckled. She couldn't help but gripped her tiger's arms, basking in the warmth and security of his embrace.

Both tiger and cheetah never noticed the king cheetah glowering jealously at them.


Lion-O followed the soldier into the nearest building, going up the stairs until they reached the top floor.

There was a balcony outside, where Muta was. He was sitting in a golden chair with red cushions. Beside him, there was a small table with a golden bowl of luscious fruit.

Muta looked over his seat and, upon seeing Lion-O, made a lazy grin.

"Ah…my king. Come, sit."

Lion-O approached the balcony, while the guard bowed and left the lions alone.

Lion-O sat down on the other chair of gold, Snarf curling up on his lap, and marvelled the sight the balcony offered, overlooking the city of El Dara and the jungle.

"How are you finding El Dara, my king?" Muta asked.

"It's…breath-taking, Lord Muta."

"I heard you have a run in with the lizards?"

Lion-O nodded hesitantly.

Muta pressed his hand to his forehead, exasperated. "I should've never taken them in. They harass my guards, break my laws. They even hold a fair leopardess hostage."

Leophelia…

"But she seemed friendly with the lizards." Lion-O questioned. "She jumped to their aid."

"Living with your captives can warp your mind. She only adapted in order to survive." Muta explained.

Then he stared at Lion-O, making the younger lion uncomfortable with his gaze.

"Lord Muta?"

"Your majesty, you are a perfect specimen."

"…thank you?"

"A pure-blood lion such as yourself should no problem in finding a fine lioness to mate with."

Instant memories of his heartbreaks with Cheetara and Pumyra flooded Lion-O's mind.

"I'm not particularly looking for a romantic relationship at the moment."

"Relationships not romantic. They are practical. To keep your species pure. To continue the longevity of your kind."

Lion-O never felt so uncomfortable in his life.

"Well…"

Muta looked over the edge of his balcony and noticed Tygra, the tiger still in a loving embrace with Cheetara.

"The tiger is your brother? As your prince?" Muta asked.

"Yes." Lion-O answered, feeling more confident.

"You don't share as many resemblances to as your little wards do to each other."

"Well…he's adopted."

Muta seemed pleased with that fact.

"Oh, your royal blood isn't soiled? That's good. Then there's no need to acknowledge that tiger as your brother."

Lion-O rose up, brimming with anger. "He's my brother, regardless of blood. You will treat him with the proper respect for a prince of Thundera!"

Muta was unfazed by Lion-O's fierce display of anger. "He's not a true prince. If you truly care for him, you will take him away from that cheetah before they ruin their lineage by cross-breeding."

"You wish for me to break up my brother and his mate?"

"If that so hard, your highness?" The way Muta was asking him was as if he were a child struggling to complete an easy task.

Lion-O could never split Tygra and Cheetara up, no matter how hurt he was getting rejected for his brother. Tygra was the happiest he ever seen in years, and it was all thanks to Cheetara. It was true love.

And if Muta wants to destroy that love for purely 'ethical' reasons, then the mountain lion was down-right blind and cruel.

There were a lot of flaws in the charismatic leader of a utopia, Lion-O noticed.

"Lord Muta, thank you very much for your…hospitality. But my team and I need to return to our ship."

Muta shook his head. "I'm afraid that's not possible, your highness. No one is allowed to leave El Dara."

"You don't understand. We need to leave to retrieve an important item for our search. We'll be back-"

"No one leaves El Dara! El Dara is a utopia! It's perfect! It's PARADISE!" Muta hollered, swinging his arms around, hitting the bowl of fruit, smashing it into pieces.

"Synah!" Snarf squeaked, suddenly frightened.

Lion-O hugged his pet and leaned back in his chair, shocked and, dare he admit it, frightened.

There was something really wrong with Muta.


Back at the party underneath the balcony, Kit and Kat were having the time of their lives, eating all the dessert they could get their hands on after a full day of grabbing whatever gold they could find. They felt so proud of themselves. Their goal was achieved. Their mother would be so happy with themselves. They found their greatest treasure…

"Dobby! Lex-A!" Kit exclaimed when she saw two of her new friends coming into view.

Kat quickly stuffed some scrumptious food in his mouth, swallowed, and scrambled to see Lex-A.

Panthro opened one eye lazily and then spat out the fine wine he was drinking. Suddenly his throat went dry, despite having just drank.

The bane of his existence was waltzing up to him, her hips and tail swaying, all dressed up in a little black dress. She also wore a headdress of golden flowers and big green feathers and even more gold jewellery, but all he noticed was her simple dress.

"Hello, Panthro." Ocelota greeted when she reached him. "Enjoying the wine?"

Panthro numbly nodded.

"May I?" She asked, holding out a glass.

Like an obedient servant, he filled her glass with his wine to the brim.

"Thank you, general."

She took a small sip, brushing aside a few flowers hanging from her head. Her eyes stayed on him.

"Sorry about leaving you earlier." She apologised smoothly. "I don't like the kids being so near to violence."

Panthro didn't answer. He just stared at her blankly.

She seemed to know that he was ogling her because she decided to smirk. Then she turned around, displaying her back to Panthro.

He gulped.

Her little black dress was backless, showing more of her perfect geometric-shaped spots and stripes as well as hidden curves in her small figure.

"Your kids are cute."

Panthro opened his mouth to tell her that the twins were not his kids (not in a hundred years!) but once again, he was silent by her seduction.

Ocelota drank her glass, tipping her head back to finish it. She turned her head, her chin nestled in her shoulder, and licked her lips sensually, now stained red.

Panthro clenched his teeth as he struggled to make a sound or even a move, but again, he can't.

"It's a shame they didn't inherit your dark…rugged…good looks."

Her tail slithered under his nose. He breathed in the scent of flowers and sugar from her fine fur.

"Anything to say, general?"

His brain stopped working.

Meanwhile, Lex-A and Dobby were standing gingerly beside a table. Lex-A kept tugging at the pink dress she was wearing.

"This thing is killing me. Why do I have to wear a dress?" She moaned.

"You're the one who didn't want to say no to Ocelota." Dobby replied.

"Next time, talk me out of it."

"Lex-A!"

Said cat moaned again. "Oh no. It's WilyKat the ThunderCat."

"You're just embarrassed that you screamed at him in front of the real ThunderCats." Dobby told her.

"I overreacted, ok? ThunderCats don't take in kittens! Believe me, I tried to get recruited. But not even my grandpa could get me in."

"Lex-A!"

Kat approached her with a grin taking up his face. There were crumbs in the corners of his mouth and even icing on his nose.

"Wanna dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.

Her green eyes flew open.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She replied, her voice soft and timid.

But Kat wasn't at all discouraged.

"Come on, gorgeous."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it like he'd seen Tygra do plenty of times with Cheetara. Usually, it involved in Cheetara kissing him on the lips.

But when he did it, it involved Lex-A quickly switching on her 'temper button.' The lynx grabbed his hand, threw him over her shoulder and slammed him to the ground.

"…Ow."

"Lex-A!" Ocelota shouted.

Upon seeing Lex-A flipping Kat, Ocelota left Panthro's side and marched up to the kits. As soon as she was gone, Panthro released a hefty breath of relief. His mind started to stop spinning.

"I swear, that woman is trying to kill me." He groaned. "How could something so small be so…"

"Brazen?" Tygra suggested as he and Cheetara came over, both wearing mischievous expressions.

"She obviously likes you." Cheetara observed.

"You like her." Tygra said, smirking. "At least, you like the dress she's wearing."

"Shut your trap, boy!"

Tygra didn't shut it. "The mighty panther warrior finally met his match. A petite ocelot lady. Look, she made you sweat."

"It's the heat!"

"Of course, it is."

"No, the heat as in the weather, you smart-mouth!"

"Tygra, enough." Cheetara scolded.

But Tygra chuckled anyway. "I couldn't help it. It was rather funny watching you stand there while she did all the flirting. When was the last time you even talk to a woman, apart from Ocelota?"

"Three minutes ago." Panthro answered.

"Cheetara and Kit don't count. Face it, Panthro. Your reign as Thundera's most unattainable bachelor is coming to an end."

"I didn't stay a bachelor so I can play around with women. I just didn't wanna get married. When I was young, my mother tried to set me up with every dame in Thundera. Every day, she threw flighty females at me. I joined the army mainly to get away!"

Cheetara jerked her head in the direction of one particular woman. "But she…isn't as flighty, is she?"

Panthro frowned, but said nothing. Panthro swatted off critters smaller than Ocelota, including the twins, but Lady Ocelota of the House Dalí was a different kind of pest. She was different than the other females who wanted him. She was smarter, cooler, more mature. Also confident, honest, shameless. The way she flirted was, in a way, clever by using her body and little words (and little clothing) to entice him.

"Whatever game she's playing, you like it." Cheetara kept teasing him.

"It's the wine. I'm drunk."

Panthro glanced to the female driving him crazy, watching her scold Lex-A for beating up Kat. Lex-A was looking rather embarrassed and ashamed.

An impressed smile broke his rigid face. "But I have to give her credit. She tamed that little beast."

"Are you talking about Lex-A?" Cheetara asked. "I heard that General Lynx-O's granddaughter was a little spirited."

Tygra and Panthro looked to her like she'd just grown an extra head.

"A little spirited? She was wild!" Tygra exclaimed. "Lynx-O spoiling her rotten only made it worse. That hellion is his 'little angel' as he called her."

"Yeah, the unofficial Princess of Thundera." Panthro scoffed. "That old blind geezer has a literal blind spot when it comes to his precious granddaughter."

"It looks like she grew up after fleeing Thundera." Tygra noted. "She's even friends with a puppy. Lynx-O hated dogs."

"Lynx-O let me hold her after she was born." Panthro remembered. "She bit me."

"Newborn kittens don't have any teeth." Cheetara pointed out.

"She did! I still have the scar!"

"You're being too harsh on her. She's just a kitten."

"Believe me, love, we know." Tygra grumbled, about to recall a memory. "One time Lion-O and I were left in the same room with her, and she decided to swing from the chandelier, causing the chandelier to fall, and we were blamed for it, not her!"

Cheetara giggled at the image formed in her head by what Tygra told her. But she stopped when she observed the party.

"Wait a minute. Tygra, Panthro. Do you notice something?"

"Like what?" Panthro inquired.

"Ocelota and I are the only adult female cats at party."

Tygra glanced around. Like his pretty mate said, there no other female adult cats other than her and Ocelota. There were female animals of different species but no female cats.

"You're right, babe."

The tiger also noticed something else.

"I don't see any kittens. There's only our twins and Lex-A."

"No female cats and no cubs? That doesn't sound like El Dara is thriving well."

"That's not the only thing. Look." Panthro said, jerking his chin.

In the direction he was gesturing to, there were a couple of avians standing aside. Wearing heavy gold chains on their ankles.

There was something really wrong with El Dara.


The only music playing at the party was Kit's flute. She played a sweet, simple tune that brought a few small smiles to the residents of El Dara, apart from the guards. They were either smirking or frowning.

"You play really good." Dobby complimented.

Kit smiled at him. "Thank you."

He held out his hand. "May have this dance?"

"Yes, you may."

They danced with one hand, Kit playing her flute with the other and Dobby snapping his fingers with his other hand. The two do them were lost in their own world, having fun until Dobby accidentally brushed against a guard.

"Oh, sor-"

"Watch it, you little mutt!"

Before Dobby could finish his apology, the cat guard kicked the poor pup so hard, he flew into a wall and then dropped to the ground.

"Dobby!" Kit cried. She immediately dashed over to her dance partner.

"DOBBY!"

Ocelota and Lex-A ran over to the fallen dog.

"Oh, sweetie." Ocelota pulled him into her arms to cradle him.

Dobby whimpered in pain. The side of his face was grazed and bearing small bloody cuts. Kit hovered her hand over his injury, careful not to touch him. She felt several emotions at once. Concern, sadness, anger.

Kat, Tygra, Cheetara and Panthro were just as horrified at the incident.

"Leave him be, woman."

The guard responsible for Dobby's injury was standing over Ocelota. He reached out to shove the ocelot from the pup he just hurt.

"You hurt him!" Lex-A snapped before Ocelota could answer, slapping his hand away.

He reached out again. "Leave the mongrel alone. He's not worth it-"

Lex-A suddenly screamed and kicked him away just as he did to her friend, sending him right across the yard.

"GET AWAY FROM US, YOU LOUSY THUG!"

The guard moaned in pain, and then growled as he got up and literally charged towards Lex-A, the little cub ready for a fight until Ocelota got in between them, stopping the guard in his tracks.

Kit gazed up at Ocelota, hugging Dobby.

"Out of the way, Lady Ocelota. I need to teach that brat a lesson."

Ocelota stared him down, unafraid. "Fighting a kitten and kicking a puppy? You have no shortage of shame, do you?"

"He's just a mutt."

"The mutt is under my guardianship. By laying a hand on him, or rather a foot as you gracefully did, you insult the House of Dalí, my house. My blood is much richer than yours. If the pup did offend you, why didn't you tell me so I can enlist a proper form of punishment? Instead, you took that right from me. According to the ancient laws of El Dara, that calls for your head."

The guard got scared by her speaking so eloquently.

"Unless…you drop it and leave my kids alone."

The guard snarled, but nonetheless walked away. Ocelota smirked and scoffed in the way high society ladies do.

"Lex-A, why don't you take Dobby and Kit home?" She asked sweetly.

Without a word, Lex-A helped Kit and Dobby up and led them away. The three kids walked down the narrow street to wherever Ocelota's home was.

And then Lex-A screamed again.

"THAT'S IT! I HAVE IT UP TO HERE WITH THIS PLACE!"

Kit was once again scared and shocked by her outburst while Dobby was only surprised by what she said.

"I hate it here!"

Lex-A's shrieking fell a few volumes as she dropped to her knees and started to cry. Kit set Dobby against a wall and knelt to Lex-A's level.

"Lex-A? Are you okay?" Kit asked gently.

"I want to leave this place." Lex-A whined, fiddling with her necklace.

"But you're safe here." Dobby said softly.

"But you're not! You don't deserve to be treated like this. You're my best friend."

Kit glanced to Dobby, both confused and concerned.

"What are you two talking about?"

Dobby shrugged bashfully. "It's very complicated."

Kit narrowed her eyes, getting determined. "Come on, guys. Let's go to your home where it would be more comfortable, and you can explain everything."


"What a woman!"

"You said it, kid."

Kat and Panthro stared after Lex-A and Ocelota. However, Kat was talking about Lex-A, admiring her strength and courage whereas Panthro was thinking about Ocelota and how she stopped a big fight by simply talking.

"I'm in love."

Panthro looked down on Kat. "With Lex-A?"

Kat nodded.

"Well, you're a dead cat."

"Why?"

"Because she's a brat. Worse than you."

Quite suddenly, Kat's small fist flew into Panthro's stomach with tremendous power, knocking the wine-tainted air out of the old cat.

"Oomph! Hey, what was that for?"

"For insulting my woman!"

"Oh whiskers."

The bad flirting wasn't the only thing Kat adopted from Tygra. The kitten even picked up on the tiger's intense style of displaying love. It seemed like Kat had fallen hard for the general's granddaughter. After she hit him hard. Several times.

"Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into? You're looking at a lifetime of broken bones and hearing loss."

"I like it. Just like how you like Ocelota."

"I do not like that crazy woman!"

"That's right, you don't like her. You love her, just like Tygra loves Cheetara and I love Lex-A! Do you think her grandpa would approve of me as her future husband?"

"Not even Lex-A approves of you."

"Neither do I." A new voice finished their conversation.

A male cat sulked out from the shadows. He was a cheetah, with a thick black Mohawk, black stripes running up and down his face, and bigger black spots on his beige body. Those extra features made him all the more intimidating. He wore similar tribal clothes and gold armour to the guards, only his were more elaborate, as if he were a high rank. His red eyes were looking down on Kat with disgust.

Panthro didn't like the look of him.

"Leave him alone. He's just a kit in love." He defended.

The king cheetah glared at the old cat.

"You may be welcomed by Muta, but you two have no business courting our women. I've seen the way you looked at Lady Ocelota. She's too valuable to lose, even to a ThunderCat. Her family has been here since the Dawn of El Dara. Besides, she's still in mourning her betrothed. So, don't even think about it, panther."

The king cheetah's words convinced Panthro to second guess his growing feelings for Ocelota. There was obvious attraction between them but was it all for fun? Was she only pretending? Was it just a joke to her?

"As for you," The king cheetah his scary attention turned to Kat. "You don't stand a chance with the lynx girl. She is already engaged."

Kat pulled a face that he was stabbed in the chest. Through his heart.

"You are threatening the life of El Dara. So, unless you wish to be banished without your heads, I suggest you back off."

With a satisfied smirk, the king cheetah left the two males in their aguish and went straight to the only other cheetah in El Dara. Who was also the only female cheetah.

"Greeting, my lady." He greeted smoothly to Cheetara with a predatory smile. "It's been a while since I'd seen another cheetah."

"Same as myself." Cheetara replied, wary of him.

"The name is Tlatoani. Captain of the guard."

Then he snatched her hand and kissed it.

The way he did was more, for lack of a better word, uncomfortable than Kat and even Tygra. Cheetara felt his sharp teeth almost piercing her skin. She didn't like it one bit and tried to jerk her hand away, but he held on tight, almost crushing her hand.

"Let go of me!" She shrieked.

"Hey! Get your hands off her!" Tygra yelled.

Tlatoani merely brushed Tygra's fury and Cheetara's distress off.

"Cats of the same spots…"

He made one strong tug, pulled Cheetara into his unwanted arms, and directed a smirk to her boyfriend.

"Never be apart."

Tygra was so mad, he was just about to punch the king cheetah when someone cried out.

"ITS THE DRAGO TRIBE!"

Tlatoani turned his lecherous smirk away from the couple to wherever he heard the cry was coming from. Using his change of attention to her advantage, Cheetara stabbed her elbow in Tlatoani's stomach, making him gasp and fall over in pain, thus freeing her. She immediately found refuge in Tygra's arms, and they quickly walked away.

A huge bonfire suddenly blazed in the square, set on by a chameleon doing cartwheels. The same chameleon from earlier.

"They're here!"

"The Drago Tribe!"

Hearing the natives' cries, Lion-O stood up from his seat, Panthro and Kat snapped out of their agony, and Tygra and Cheetara stopped walking.

"Those lizards are attacking again." Tygra determined.

The Thundercats, except for Kit, ready themselves for a fight, until they heard the natives cheering in joy.

"Finally." Muta said, standing up. "I was wondering when they would finally appear."

Lion-O leaned over balcony edge, curious.

"Good evening, El Dara!" The chameleon exclaimed, arms wide open as he bask in the cheers. "Are you ready to be entertained?"

The natives cheered more enthusiastically. The chameleon stepped aside as the Komodo dragon and snake appeared. The snake bounced around, doing loop-de-loops while the Komono dragon juggled heavy blocks of gold.

"They love them." Cheetara observed, glancing to the crowd.

As she said, the natives adored the lizards and their performance, though the guards were not part of their enthusiasm.

"I feel as if we fell through a hole where everything is the opposite." Tygra remarked, dumbfounded.

First, he and his group ended up stuck in a city he only read in fairytales was real, then the granddaughter of his father's blind general showed up with a dog and a cat who flirted her way into Panthro's heart of steel, and then his little brother's best friend was here as well with the most dangerous kinds of lizards?

He must be going crazy.

"They do this every night, performing like clowns to get the lower class's admiration." Muta explained, his fingers intertwined and his eyes looking down, impatiently waiting for something.

Or someone.

"It looks like your citizens enjoy them." Lion-O noted.

"Would you enjoy a circle act at your leisure?" Muta retorted.

Lion-O really wanted this guy to shut up. But watching the lizards perform, he realised these were the same lizards from earlier, who took Leophelia from him.

"If they're here, where is…"

Just when he uttered those words, the chameleon threw some powder to the ground, igniting green fire, and stepped back. The Komodo dragon and snake stopped performing and went to stand beside the chameleon.

The green fire died down, and Leophelia was in its place.

Lion-O's jaw dropped.

His long-lost best friend was wearing a sparkling silver dress clinging to her body like a second skin. The skirt was short at the front, between her knees and ankles, and long to the ground at the back, with silts at each side exposing her shapely legs. A cowl neck draped over her chest, and thin silver straps criss-cross behind her neck and down her back. Her dark hair was gathered up in an updo, decorated with ruby-studded pins and white flowers. The necklace she had earlier hung around her neck.

A smirk curled on Muta's face. "There she is."

Drums begun to play and Leophelia started to dance. The audience went wild for her, more than they did for the lizards.

"There she is." Muta said, watching her with dangerous lust. "The real treasure of El Dara. Her heart is worth more than gold."

Lion-O said nothing. He just gripped the balcony's edge, staring at Leophelia, Snarf nestled in between his arms.

Leophelia danced with vigour and grace, in a perfect blend of choreography and acrobatics. She twisted and turned, slid and swung, dipped and bent, kicked and stretched, shook and moved around.

The crowd cheered for her. The lizards were grinning with pride.

"She's a talented dancer." Cheetara complimented.

Kat literally drooled over the dancing leopard. "No wonder Lion-O was dreaming about her."

"He was dreaming about her when she was a cub, not as a grown woman." Tygra retorted.

"How long you think it's gonna be before he realises his little friend isn't so little anymore?" Panthro asked, knowing this was going to affect Lion-O and Leophelia's relationship greatly.

Tygra glanced to Lion-O high up but still able to see his gobsmacked expression. "Now."

Like Tygra said, Lion-O hadn't noticed that Leopera was a woman until he saw her in a skimpy dress and dancing more suggestively than when they were kittens. He watched her dance a hundred times when they were little, but her dancing now was different.

She was different.

He just couldn't take his eyes off her. He watched her necklace bouncing off her chest, every ripple of her body, the way her dress sparkles like stars. A shower of new feelings drowned him. Feelings he felt with Cheetara and Pumyra but stronger.

Then he caught eyes with Leophelia. Their locked gaze never broke, even while she was still dancing.

He couldn't hold back any longer.

With no hesitation, he jumped over the railing of the balcony, landed on his feet without fail and made a beeline for the square.

"Synaaaaa….!" Snarf jumped after him, landing safely in a bush.

"Lion-O!"

Tygra's whip coiled around Lion-O, stopping him.

"Tygra!" Lion-O shouted angrily.

The bigger and stronger Tygra tried to reel him in, but Lion-O won't bulge with the power of rage and determination on his side.

Tygra would be impressed if he wasn't having his muscles pulled.

"Tygra! Let me go!"

"Just calm down."

"Don't tell me to calm down! She's there! She's right there! I must talk to her!"

"Not now. We need to talk first."

"I don't want to talk to you! I need to talk to her!"

"She's with lizards, Lion-O. Lizards! We have no idea what her motives are!"

"I lost her once because of you. I'm not letting it happen again!"

Lion-O lunged forward, and the whip was yanked out of Tygra's hands. Once freed from his brother's hold, Lion-O resumed running.

"LION-O!"

Ignoring Tygra, Lion-O broke through the crowd to get to Leopera, however he found himself moving along when everyone decided to join in the dancing. He looked around, getting agitated that he can't see his old friend anywhere.

"Lion-O."

Hearing his name, he turned around and saw her. He smiled.

"Leophelia."

Lion-O and Leophelia circle one another, eyes locked in a steady gaze. Dancing bodies surrounded them, the bonfire burning bright and hot behind them. The drumming got more intense and louder.

Muta saw the pair from his perch on his private balcony, scowling. Tlatoani came up from behind him.

"Looks like the boy king is enchanted by the leopardess as well." The king cheetah said.

Muta's scowl darkened. "It seems so."

Tygra was also scowling. He tried to look for his brother and nuisance from the sidelines but couldn't see them with the dancing natives in the way.

Lion-O was lost in his own little world, a world he once shared with his friend. He couldn't stop staring at her. Not just because of her beauty, but because he missed her so much. He missed her sweet smile, her kindness, her bright eyes, her soft skin. He was dying to hug her again, even hold her hand.

She was almost in his reach. Her red lips were pulling him in, luring him through a silent siren's song, tempting him to kiss her…

Soon enough, they were inches apart, although not touching.

By the time either moved their hands or even lean in, the boom of lightning and thunder followed by heavy rain put an end to the party. The natives ran away, shrieking. The guard retreated. Even Muta hid inside his temple.

Leophelia lunged forward to whisper in his ear. "Lion-O, I have something to tell you. Meet me in Ocelota's mansion."

"Ocelota?"

"Don't follow me yet. Wait so it won't look suspicious. I'll see you soon."

Leophelia pulled back and quickly walked down, keeping her head down so she won't look back at him. The lizards were waiting for her. The komodo dragon put his arm around her and led her away.

"Lion-O, you idiot!"

Tygra's hand strikes the back of Lion-O head, knocking his longing gaze off his face.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For being an idiot obviously! What were you thinking? Jumping off a balcony and running into a crowd just to stare at a dancer?"

"Her name is Leophelia!"

"Now is not the time to play around with your childhood friend! You might've offended Muta, the leader of the city we're in! Like you said, we need more allies! You literally have no common sense!"

"Stop it, you two!" Cheetara separated the two with her staff. "You're both acting like cubs."

Like earlier, the ThunderCats were all alone in the square. The bonfire sizzled down, the flames turning into smoke.

Lion-O glared at his brother but decided to talk about his suspicions.

"I don't believe Muta would be a potential ally after all. He said some rather uncomfortable things when I was with him."

"El Dara is hiding something." Cheetara inputted. "The bird residents are wearing chains preventing them from flying. And there are no other cat females or cubs apart from Ocelota, Lex-A and Dobby."

Lion-O glanced to Kat who was trying to shield himself from the rain. "Where's Kit?"

"She left with Lex-A and Dobby." Kat answered.

"Where?"

"My place." Ocelota said out of the blue from her place beside Panthro.

"Leophelia said to meet at your home."

Ocelota smirked. "Follow me, my lord. The storm will give you cover. Be sure we're not followed."

She sauntered past him, disappearing into the narrow streets and alleyways. After a minute, the ThunderCats followed her.


OCs

Tlatoani

A King cheetah and captain of Muta's guards

His name, 'Tlatoani', is the title for the Aztec kings - Pronounced la-to-a-nah

Voice actor- A. J. LoCascio (Prince Lotor in Voltron: Legendary Defender)


Leophelia wearing a silver dress is symbolic. It represents her defying Muta since it is not gold and silver in El Dara is considered a 'unimportant' material in El Dara.

"Her heart is worth more than gold." This line has a double meaning.