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. I also do not own Ice Age: The Meltdown, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Brother Bear 2, and Tarzan.
The storm was still going strong when the ThunderCats followed Ocelota to a golden mansion nestled in a cluster of trees, with vines on the walls and branches sticking out of windows.
The cats hurried inside and found Kit waiting for them with a stack of towels in her arms. Instead of her regular clothes, she wore a silky lavender long-sleeved dress.
"Hiya!" Kit greeted.
The Thundercats each took a towel from her and dry themselves. Snarf shook himself dry and his fur puffed up.
"You have a lovely home, Lady Ocelota." Kit complimented politely.
"Thank you, dear." Ocelota said, taking her big headdress off. She shook the raindrops off her body, once again tempting Panthro. "I'm going to get changed. Make yourself at home."
Panthro watched her go, eying her swinging hips. He didn't need to use a towel. The heat of his feelings was vapouring the raindrops off him.
"So…you think she's the girl for me?" He asked.
Kat's grin was barely visible underneath his flat, wet hair. "Oh yeah. She's nice and tons of fun, and you're not nice and no fun at all." Kat dried his hair with the towel, and it came out spiker than Lion-O's mane. "She completes you."
The interior of Ocelota's mansion was much grander than its exterior. The mansion had many rooms, with open ceilings, small ponds and pools, trees and bushes growing inside, and chaise longue chairs. The golden walls were decorated with flowers and images of skulls. Colourful carpets and rugs laid out everywhere. Candles perched on shelves and in the floor light up the rooms. In a way, Ocelota's home reminded Lion-O and Tygra of the palace they grew up in.
"Kit?"
The ThunderCats looked to where Kit's name was uttered. Two small creatures stood at the entrance to another room, staring at the cats.
"Hi, Ralph." Kit greeted, smiling.
The first creature was a small feline creature like Snarf with more feminine features, with a curly-haired blue body, a white underbelly, white paws, a long tail with a curl at the end, blue butterfly wings on her back and auburn-coloured eyes with long black eyelashes.
Snarf practically melted at the sight of the beautiful blue creature.
The second creature was stranger. The strangest animal the ThunderCats ever seen. It was standing a head shorter than the thunderkittens and its body was much smaller than them. Its skin was plain, furless, and shaded like caramel. It had hair, which were short tight curls in a sandy colour. It also possessed big shining brown eyes, small fleshy ears at the sides of its head, and small clawless hands. It was dressed in a black shirt with short red sleeves and a purple oriental-style dragon on the front, blue shorts with torn seams, dirty white socks and one green sneaker on its right foot and was also hugging a black-covered leather journal.
"…What in the name of Thundera is that?" Tygra gawked.
"Don't be so rude." Kit snapped. "He's a friend."
"My name is Rudolph Theodore Walter Donar. But everyone calls me Ralph." The little creature greeted politely. Then he bent down and stroked the blue creature. "And this is Flou. Nice to meet you."
Ralph approached the ThunderCats and offered his hand for a handshake, a big smile in his cute little face. Due to his small size, he had to lean back to stare up at the bigger cats.
But rather than return the gesture, Panthro took his whole arm and yanked him up.
"Hey!" Ralph yelped, kicking his little feet in mid-air.
Flou squealed, very displeased and begun jumping up to Ralph.
"I never seen anything like this before. It's got no fur." Panthro observed as he poked Ralph's cheek. Then he hung the boy upside down by his feet, making his drop his journal. With one finger, he tickled Ralph's left foot that which made him laugh.
"No fangs." Tygra pulled Ralph's lips open, examining his teeth.
"No claws." Cheetara stroked her finger on Ralph's hand.
"Not even a tail." Lion-O pointed to Ralph's behind.
"And his ears are weird!" Kat exclaimed.
"They're perfectly shaped for a human!" Ralph snapped.
"What's a hoo-man?"
"Me! I'm a human!"
"I think he's kinda cute." Kit commented.
"You think everything is cute." Kat reprimanded.
"No, I don't! I don't think you're cute."
"That means you're not cute too! We're twins!"
"Fraternal twins!" Kit then turned and looked up at Panthro. "You better put him down before the Drago Tribe catches you."
"Why would the lizards-OW!"
Flou's little yet sharp teeth dug into Panthro's ankle. The sudden action caused the panther to let go of Ralph. A scaly tail caught Ralph as he fell and pulled him away from the Thundercats, bringing him to the tail's owner.
The snake.
She cuddled Ralph in her arms, a happy smile on her face before it turned into a scowl.
"Paws off the kid! He's not a rag doll for your enjoyment!"
"Sorry. We overreacted." Lion-O apologised.
He picked up the journal and handed it to Ralph. Ralph looked to Lion-O, and then smiled and took his journal back.
The snake studied Lion-O for a few seconds until she smiled.
"Come on. Dinner is ready."
She turned away and slithered off. Then she looked over her shoulder with a teasing expression directed to Lion-O.
"Leopy's waiting."
Lion-O hurried after her.
The Thundercats followed the snake to what was most likely the dining room, judging by the long table decked with gold plates, cups, knives and forks, and a burning fireplace. There was also a small garden inside, showered with raindrops from the open ceiling, growing fresh fruit and vegetables.
On one side of the table, Dobby was settling down plates with food. He had bandages wrapped around his head where he was hurt and was wearing a purple set of loungewear. Lex-A was sitting down, wearing a more comfortable outfit than her pink dress, a sleeveless green top and green lounge pants. She kept her bandana and necklace.
"I've got dinner ready." Dobby announced.
"Thank you, Dobby darling." Ocelota strolled in, changed into a burgundy-coloured dress with long, wide sleeves and gold buttons down the arms and over the shoulders, and her hair arranged in a big bubble-ponytail. She planted a gentle kiss on Dobby's cheek. "You're such a good boy."
She glanced to the Thundercats, just standing there. "Well, come in. Dinner's ready."
Kit took the seat beside Dobby just as he sat down beside Lex-A and Kat sat right next to her. She groaned. Kat just kept grinning until he noticed what was on his dinner plate.
"Vegetables?" He whined. He also noticed that all the dinner plates were serving vegetables as well. "What about dessert?"
"I think you had enough dessert for a lifetime." Ocelota scolded.
On the other side of the table, the two male lizards were sitting down and Leophelia was standing beside them.
"Why do I need to wear this?" Leophelia asked the snake as she slithered over. "I could've worn my regular clothes."
Snakayla simply smirked as she put Ralph down on a chair beside the Komodo Dragon. "After the day you had, I thought it would be more appropriate."
"Appropriate? It's just dinner, not a royal banquet."
"Might as well be, 'cause the king is here."
Leophelia's bright eyes widened. Then she slowly turned and noticed Lion-O standing there, staring at her with his jaw open. She casted her eyes down on what she was wearing. She was out of her silver dress and into a short, silky cyan-blue nightdress with a long, white robe. Her hair was tied back in a braid with her red bandana, and she held onto her necklace.
She blushed blazingly and turned to the snake, glaring.
"You planned this!" She accused.
The snake merely snickered.
"At least she didn't make you wear a metal bikini." The chameleon remarked.
Leophelia snapped her glare onto him and slapped the back of his head, but he just laughed.
"SYNAH!"
Suddenly, a red, white, and yellow bundle of overhyped joy jumped across the dinner table and burrowed itself in Leophelia's arms. Confused and surprised, Leophelia held out whatever hurled itself at her.
"Snarf?" She questioned, recognising the creature.
Snarf wagged his tail, wiggling in her hands and smiling.
"Snarf!" She pulled him in for a long-awaited hug. "Oh, Snarf! I missed you!"
Snarf happily licked all over her face, making her laugh. She cuddled him closer, just as happy as him to see him. Her bubble of bliss burst once she eventually noticed the ThunderCats.
And Tygra.
Her eyes narrowed and her smile frowned. "Tygra."
Tygra, a normally cool tiger, suddenly found himself riddled with awkwardness when facing the girl he used to torment.
"Uh, hi, Leophelia. It's, uh, it's…been a while, huh? 10 years?"
"11." She corrected him coldly.
"So, you're Leophelia?" Kit asked. "Lion-O was just dreaming about you!"
Leophelia literally squeaked. Lion-O blushed as fiery as his mane.
"I was not!" He protested.
"Yes, you were." Kat inputted. "You were crying out her name in your sleep."
"Like this. Leophelia! Leophelia!" Kit pretended to cry out, hands clasped.
"Don't leave me, Leopy!" Kat sang in a falsetto.
Lion-O glared at the twins while Leophelia nuzzled Snarf closer, burying her blushing face against him. She quickly changed the embarrassing subject by introducing the lizards.
"This is Snakayla." She gestured to the snake. "Komo." Then to the Komodo Dragon. "And Chamelyon." And then to the chameleon. She smiled to the little human boy. "You've already met Ralph, our baby."
Ralph pouted quite adorably. "I'm not a baby! I'm 7 and two-fifths old!"
"Compared to how old we are, you are a baby." Chamelyon teased.
"You're just teenagers!"
"Older than you, kid." Komo quipped, taking a swing of his drink, and then burped.
"Komo!" Snakayla exclaimed. "Gross!"
Ralph stared at Komo and then drank from his cup, just water, and burped as well.
Komo and Chamelyon laughed while Snakayla and Leophelia rolled their eyes.
"I'm pretty sure I raised you two to have manners."
The male lizards almost fell out of their seats and the girls turned around, Leophelia smiling. The Thundercats looked up from their side of the table.
A large, tall, and very muscular Bearded Lizard with warm, beige scales and blue eyes came into the dining room, carrying an air of honour, wisdom, and strength. He only wore a green pair of trousers held up by a black belt with a flat and round crest that had a black side of some kind of a lizard's head with its fork-tongue sticking out on a purple surface.
"Lizadro!" Ralph piped up.
The Bearded Lizard dubbed 'Lizadro' smiled and ruffled Ralph's head, and then sat down beside Leophelia.
"You came just in time, father." Leophelia said to the big lizard.
"Father?!" The Thundercats cried, shocked.
Tygra spat out his food. "Your father is a lizard?!"
"Charming as ever, Tygra. Yes, my father is a lizard." Leophelia drawled sarcastically. But then her pretty face changed from annoyance to ferocious anger. "I was adopted by lizards after you chased me out!"
"Leophelia." Lizadro's voice spoke for the first time, deep and low with a demand of respect and discipline, and Leophelia instantly settled down.
She grabbed his much larger hand and squeezed tight. His big thumb rubbed the top of her hand. His green eyes shifted to the Thundercats, staring long and hard. Tygra, Cheetara and even Panthro felt intimidated by his gaze. The twins were too busy enjoying their dinner. Lion-O stared back, determined not to back down and to prove himself to this formidable lizard (and Leophelia's adoptive father.)
"I bet you're wondering what the heck is going on." Lizadro spoke again, calm, and steady. "Muta told you that the history of El Dara? How it is a settlement of Thundera that got lost in time?"
Lion-O nodded.
"What he didn't tell you was that the settlement cut contact first. The early settlers thought if they kept the gold and sugar mines to themselves, they could make their own empire to rival Thundera. El Dara let Thundera believe the settlement didn't survive and waited for a while until they can take over Thundera. Big mistake. They waited too long for the right time to strike. They never acted on their dream. They got lost in it, cut off from reality. The civilians went stir-crazy. Totally insane."
Ocelota coughed loudly, miffed.
Lizadro actually looked bashful. "Well…not all of them. Muta is the worse."
Panthro scoffed. "No kidding."
"His parents were brother and sister. That genetic mess is making him go crazy."
"Ew!" The twins squealed.
"Actually, the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt practice incest to keep their royal bloodline pure. Royal families in Europe and farmers in rural America did the same, but with their cousins which is technically legal, all to keep their lands and titles in the family. That reminds me, Ancient Egypt worshipped cats and even had a cat goddess called Bastet who symbolised protection of the family home." Ralph said all in one breath.
The Thundercats stared at Ralph like he spoke a different language.
"Uh, what did he say?" Panthro asked.
Lizadro patted Ralph on the head. "He sprouts facts from his world. They make sense. In a way. Like he said, incest is accepted here as long as the couple are the same species to keep the species 'pure'."
"Double ew!" Kit shrieked.
"But El Dara is supposed to be a paradise!" Kat protested. "It's supposed to be the Jewel of the World!"
Lex-A scoffed. "Jewel of the World? More like Nightmare of Hell."
And then she devoured a big vegetable in one go.
"Whoa! Take it easy, Lex-A!" Ocelota reprimanded. "Don't stuff everything in at once! Who raised you? A wolf?"
Lex-A swallowed her food and belched. "My grandpa and he's a lynx."
"If I ever meet him, I'm going to have a word with him." Ocelota promised herself.
"Muta keeps all the vegetables and fruit, all the healthy food to himself and his guards and leaves only dessert for the non-cat citizens." Lizadro said. "It's not as sweet as it sounds. Too much sugar is bad for your health. It caused rotting teeth and fragile bones."
"So, vegetables are the real dessert?" Kit asked.
Ralph blenched at the sight of a particular vegetable that looked a lot like broccoli and secretly tipped his plate, spilling the vegetable right into Flou's offering mouth.
"The residents are so weak from eating nothing but dessert made from sugar, they couldn't defend themselves when the guards." Lizadro continued.
"Is that why you were fighting the guards earlier?" Lion-O inquired, facing Leophelia.
She frowned at the question. "The 'honourable' guards spend more bullying anyone who isn't a cat than actually guarding El Dara. You saw how they treated poor Dobby."
Dobby lightly touched his bandaged cheek. Kit turned to him and looped her hand around his bicep to comfort him. It helped while making him blush.
"It's kind of ridiculous." Chamelyon noted, leaning back on his chair. "They act so high and mighty, even though they're dying out."
"Dying out?" Cheetara repeated, sounding curious.
"Haven't you notice that there's no young children apart from ours? That Ocelota is the only female cat born here?" Lizadro questioned rhetorically. "Many females and their children died in childbirth or killed by illnesses running around and the lack of medical care and knowledge. To make matters worse, El Dara doesn't believe in illness or medicine."
"Muta won't even acknowledge that El Dara is dying." Leophelia added.
"His stupidity or craziness is most likely his family history of inbreeding effecting his brain." Ralph piped up again. "A lot of kings had mental problems and deformities. King Charles II of Spain was born so deformed from inbreeding, he had a huge jaw, digestive problems and couldn't have any kids!"
"Thank you, Ralph, for elaborating."
Lizadro stared hard at Lion-O. "Muta may be crazy, but he is planning something. He might be planning your murder so he can be king of the cats." He glanced to Tygra. "I doubt he sees you as a threat."
Tygra glowered grumpily. "You're just saying that because of my…history with your daughter."
"Tygra, he degraded you for being adopted and he wanted me to break up you and Cheetara." Lion-O told his brother.
"WHAT?!" Tygra almost flipped the table over by how furiously fast he stood up.
Lizadro was unfazed. "I must warn you. There's another cheetah. Tlatoani. Captain of the guards."
Cheetara grabbed Tygra's arm and pulled him down.
"We've met." She replied.
"As I mentioned before, El Dara practices same-species marriage. He may feel…entitled to have you as his mate."
Tygra immediately wrapped an arm around his girlfriend protectively.
"We gotta get out of here." He demanded.
Snakayla scoffed. "Good luck with that. This whole place is a glorified prison."
Panthro pointed to her, Komo and Chamelyon. "You're a snake, he's a Komodo dragon and he's a chameleon, three of the most dangerous and elusive kinds of lizards. Ain't that enough to bust out?"
"They have surprisingly good security. I'm impressed." Chamelyon confessed.
"Impressively annoying." Snakayla snarked. "We did everything we could think of. Climbing, swimming, digging. Nothing worked. Not even fighting our way out. The guards even developed an immunity to snake venom. Trust me. I'd bitten them more times I can count."
"We even built a catapult last week." Komo added.
"How?" Kat asked.
"With a lot of gold, a little woodwork and very little bolts and screws. Didn't work so well."
"We even tried faking our deaths, hoping they might toss us out or something. But it turns out that when you die in El Dara, they skin you, take your skull, cut your heart out and burn your body to ash." Snakayla jabbed her thumb to Leophelia. "Muta wanted to keep Leopera's body, even if she was dead."
Leophelia shuddered. "Please do not remind me, Kay."
"We're lucky to have met Ocelota." Chamelyon said. "She's the best noblewoman in town."
Ocelota giggled, pretending to be bashful. "I'm the only noblewoman in town."
"She hides us in her own house from Muta, gives us intel on him, feeds us 'sacred' vegetables from her secret garden so we're always healthy and strong. They never think to look in a noble lady's house. She's literally untouchable. She's brilliant. She's a lifesaver."
"Stop. You're making me blush."
Panthro glowered at Chamelyon with jealousy.
"Ralph, no writing at the table." Lizadro scolded, noticing that instead of eating his dinner, the little human boy was writing in his journal.
"I'm just recording this dinner in my journal! This is history in the making! Lizards, cats, and dogs working together to survive a dangerous city! I'm calling it 'the Alliance of Thunder and Fire!' Because you guys descend from dragons and they breathe fire and there's the legend of the Fire Dragon, and the ThunderCats, well, the name has thunder in it!"
Suddenly, thunder boomed just as violently as the storm roaring outside, accompanied by the curtains to the open windows flapping wildly with the whistling wind and flames flickering on the candles. It scared the kittens and puppy that they shrieked. It scared Ralph so much that he screamed and jumped right into Lizadro's already offering arms, hugging the big lizard with his short arms barely covering the lizard's stomach and tears in his eyes. Leophelia reached over and rubbed Ralph's back.
"We're lucky to have this storm to buy some time to plan." Lizadro mused while he bounced Ralph on his knee, comforting him. "No one is gonna be out in this weather. Not even the guards."
"But what can we do?" Snakayla sulked. "We can't hide forever. Muta will find us eventually and the only way out is the entrance."
"We can always build something again." Chamelyon said, smirking at Komo. "Preferably one that won't fall to pieces at the first twitch."
"The catapult was your idea!" Komo pointed out.
"At your insistence!" Chamelyon pointed back.
Snakayla groaned as the boys argued. Leophelia shook her head and pulled Ralph onto her lap, Snarf hopping off, and hugged him, her body more slender enough for the little boy to hug her properly.
Looking at her caring for a frightened child, Lion-O wanted to reassure her, make her feel safe, anything to comfort her.
"I have a plan." Lion-O said out loud.
Everyone stared at him.
"Tomorrow, half of us will fight the guards off and the other half will swim out of the entrance, get to the Feliner, get the Book of Omens, then sneak back in to find the final stone."
"What stone?" Ocelota asked, curious.
"We came here searching for a stone, the Soul Stone, that can defeat Mumm-Ra. We know it's here, but we can't find it without the Book of Omens."
"You have a magical book?" Ralph said excitably, his fear forgotten. "Can I see it?"
Lion-O smiled at Ralph. "You can see it after we get out of El Dara safely."
"But we can't endanger the natives." Komo inputted. "They've been through enough. And we can't abandon them at Muta's mercy either."
"We can put them in the Forever Bag and bring them with us." Kit suggested.
"The whatever bag?" Dobby questioned.
"The Forever Bag!" Kat held up the bag. "It has a bottomless supply of space inside, so big that we can find the whole city in it! We already got half the gold in El Dara and it's not even full!"
"So, we get as many natives as possible in the twins' Forever Bag, then beat the snot out the guards and hide back in Ocelota's untouchable house?" Panthro said, getting the idea of the plan. Then he smirked. "I like it."
Lizadro nodded. "Nice plan, your majesty. But are you willing to go through with it?"
"You said so yourself, Muta is dangerous." Lion-O countered. "Living here is a risk."
Lex-A's fingers fiddled with the pendant of her gold necklace.
"Does…does that mean we have to leave El Dara?" She asked nervously, which was out of character of her.
"Yes, Lex-A." Lion-O answered, he and Tygra noticing her change in behaviour.
Lex-A's eyes blew open, pupils shrinking, and her ears stood up. Her whole hand grasped the pendant.
She started to stutter, her body shaking with fear. "B-B-But the lizards! T-T-They'll-"
Almost instantly, Snakayla wrapped her tail around Lex-A, keeping her still. Ocelota reached over, gently gripping her hands on Lex-A's shaking shoulders.
"Breathe, love." Ocelota soothed.
Kat, sitting right next to his crush, was unsure what to do in this delicate situation.
"Just give her space." Dobby told him.
"It's the best you could do."
Kat trusted him because obviously the dog knew what to do.
"We're not going to let that happen, dear." Lizadro said gently but also determinedly. "Not on our watch."
His adoptive daughter and the other lizards were all gracing determined faces to match him.
The Thundercats were curious about Lex-A's behaviour.
"What's the matter?" Lion-O asked, careful not to step on any sensitive toes.
"Lex-A and Dobby were being hunted by lizards when they came here." Ocelota answered solemnly, hugging Lex-A.
"Relentlessly." Dobby added grimly.
"They want me." Lex-A quietly, but the ThunderCats heard her clearly.
"Why?" Cheetara inquired.
Lex-A gripped Ocelota's dress as she hugged the older she-cat back.
"I don't know. I do want to leave El Dara, but the lizards…They'll find me again…they'll kill me and Dobby…"
"Shh..." Ocelota whispered gently to her. "I'm here, dear. I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Lion-O, Tygra and even Panthro never saw the mighty general's spirited granddaughter so timid. But it was obvious she was traumatised from whatever she went through since the fall of Thundera and losing her grandfather.
And then Lex-A realised something else to add to her fear. "Now that the ThunderCats are here, El Dara will most definitely fall. Leophelia said so in her vision."
"Vision?" Cheetara looked to Leophelia, interested in this piece of information. "You're psychic?"
Leophelia suddenly squeaked and looked away. A few strands fell loose from her braid, hiding her bashful face.
"Yes…but my visions are not very clear." She admitted shyly. "It's probably won't even come true."
"Of course it's true!"
Like thunder and lightning flashing in the blink of an eye, Lion-O swooped forward and grabbed one of Leophelia's hands much to her surprise, making her squeak again. Ralph gazed up, caught in between the two cats. In fact, everyone was looking at them. Even Snarf from his position on the table with a month full of vegatables.
"Leophelia, I know you. Even after years apart. You would never make like that up. You are helping us with your visions. If anything, you gave us time to plan, have a chance to save innocent lives."
If no one was interested in the relationship between Lion-O and Leophelia, they were now by how passionately Lion-O tried to comfort her. It worked because Leophelia gave a little smile.
"He's right, Leop." Ralph said from her lap. She and Lion-O shared a glance to him. "We're not stupid. We listen to you. We trust you. Nobody believed Cassandra of Troy when she tried to warn them Troy will fall, and it did! Although with Muta drooling over you, you're also like Helen of Trooooy…."
Then Ralph yawned. His eyes blinked slowly, and he dropped his head against Leophelia's chest.
"Leophelia dear, take Ralph upstairs." Lizadro requested. He reached over and stroked Ralph's cheek. "Time for bed, kiddo."
Ocelota gently pushed Lex-A forward. "Lex-A sweetie, you go to bed as well. Get some rest."
Leophelia looked at Lion-O one last time and then pulled her hand away from him, stood up and walked away, holding onto a half-asleep Ralph, followed by Lex-A, Dobby, and Flou.
Lion-O leaned forward to stare after her. Snarf was doing the same to Flou.
"Eyes front, your majesty." Lizadro ordered.
Lion-O sat back, blushing.
Lizadro eyed him more seriously. "Muta is planning to off you."
That didn't surprise Lion-O much. "Why?"
"Because after your little stunt at the banquet, he sees you as a rival for Leophelia's affections. He wants her."
"But Leophelia is a leopard. He is a lion."
"He's a hypocritical lion. He breaks his own laws. When we first came here, Muta had three leopards in his personal army. He poisoned them all so he can keep Leopehelia for himself, never minding he's wiping out his 'pure' citizens."
A male that level of crazy and cruelty, to go to great lengths to have Leopera even if she didn't want him, unnerved Lion-O.
"You were in danger the second you fell into his smoke trap." Lizadro continued. "According to Ocelota, he's been looking for a reason to off you ever since you met. He wants your title. And my daughter. And he'll do anything to get them." His toothy lips curled into a smirk. "Ralph is right. We need an alliance."
"An alliance?" Lion-O repeated.
"You want to defeat Mumm-Ra. We have something Mumm-Ra wants."
That interested the king and his Thundercats.
"What? What does he want?" Lion-O inquired.
"Not what. Who."
"Who who?" Panthro demanded.
"Don't tell me Mumm-Ra wants Leopera as well." Tygra remarked.
"No, he's more interested in the little boy she carried off to bed."
Each Thundercat was shocked by this.
"Ralph?"
"The little boy?"
"The hoo-man?"
"The kid?"
"The child?"
"The hairless runt?"
"Synah?"
"We found him about a few months ago. He narrowly escaped Mumm-Ra's clutches after he was abducted from his world."
"Why does Mumm-Ra want Ralph?" Lion-O asked.
Lizadro shrugged. "I don't know. Ralph doesn't know either. He may not look it, but the poor kid is traumatised with Mumm-Ra trying to kill him. The old villain sent scent-hunting monsters and soldiers to hunt us down and get him. I'm surprised he hadn't turned up here yet."
Lion-O glance to the others, seeing that they were as worried as he was. Mumm-Ra wanting to harm an innocent (and talkative) child wasn't a good sign.
With his chest puffed out and his face stoic, as to mirror his father, Lion-O made an inquiry. "How would an alliance benefit us?"
Lizadro answered with clear confidence. "You want to stop Mumm-Ra. I have a child he wants. Given his desperation to kill little Ralph, it must be rather important to him. You'll have an angle on Mumm-Ra."
He glanced to Snakayla, Chamelyon and Komo. "My kids, as your panther said, are three of the most dangerous and elusive kinds of lizards. You saw them fight and use their abilities. You know they're good. My Leophelia can outshoot and outsmart anyone, and her visions are more vital than she admits."
He sounded like a proud father. A worried one too.
"But I need more than a vision to protect her. I want to get her out of here as soon as possible, away from Muta, before he makes her his bride or worse. You can protect my daughter. You're more than willing to.'
Lion-O fought back another blush.
"Working together against a common enemy rather than fight each other sounds a lot better than fighting each other. Bring some peace between lizards and cats."
"But what about Ralph?" Lion-O asked. "If we join forces, Mumm-Ra would find Ralph sooner than later."
"I know. We can't protect him forever, although we'll die trying. It would be better if he has a bigger team protecting him and who he can trust. Who knows? Maybe we'll find out what exactly Mumm-Ra wants him for and use it against him. So, what you say?"
Lizadro held out his hand to Lion-O.
"Do we have a deal?"
Lion-O stared at the lizard's massive hand, silently calculating his decision. Should he risk his team's limited safety by protecting a small innocent child that his enemy wanted? But at least he'll have an edge on Mumm-Ra by possessing a child he desired for some nefarious reason. And he'll have more allies, ones that are more honest than Muta and he knew one of them personally. And bring a hope of peace with the lizards.
Several moments passed. Everyone waited in anticipation.
And then Lion-O accepted Lizadro's hand.
"Deal."
Cat and lizard shook hands.
"Now that you all became friends," Ocelota announced, looking at the Thundercats. "It's best you lot stay here for the night. With the rain going and now that Muta is catching on. Just go upstairs and pick a room. There are also night clothes for you if you want to change out of your uncomfortable armour. And take as much gold as you want."
"That's very generous of you, Lady Ocelota." Cheetara complimented.
Ocelota merely shrugged. "It's the least I could do."
"We'll put the plan in motion in the morning." Lion-O decided. "Before first light."
He and the other Thundercats rose from their seats and went upstairs. The other lizards, who stayed quiet while Lizadro negotiated with Lion-O, slithered off after them.
Lizadro and Ocelota were left alone at the dinner table.
Ocelota directed a cheshire grin at Lizadro. "You know, you could've just given him Leophelia's hand in marriage and he'll agree, no questions asked."
Lizadro glared at her, though she wasn't fazed by it.
"She's my daughter." He growled. "Not a ruby-encrusted necklace for sale."
"All I'm saying that these kinds of alliances are usually made with marriage."
"This alliance is to protect her from Muta. Besides…" Lizadro smiled. "They don't need my interference to come together."
Ocelota chuckled. "Very clever, Lizadro."
Panthro picked at his shirt, which was part of cream silk pyjamas with gold trim. A bit too fancy for his taste, but at least he wasn't wearing his armour to bed anymore. He walked down the hall after 'answering the call to nature', passing a room, but walked back and looked inside.
Ocelota was inside, on her knees, lighting candles. In front of her was a shrine filled to the brim with decorated skulls, lit candles, and golden-yellow flowers.
"I know you're there, handsome." Ocelota suddenly said without turning around.
Panthro was a little surprised. Then he approached her.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I'm praying to my family. Asking for their forgiveness."
"Forgiveness? For what?"
Ocelota didn't answer. Instead, she closed her eyes and took deep, steady breaths.
Panthro stared at the shrine. He poked at a skull.
"Don't touch that please." Ocelota spoke out. "That's my grandfather."
Panthro pull back his hand.
"You were awfully generous to share everything you have." He commented. "Clothes, wine, food, gold, a freaking mansion…"
She answered without opening her eyes. "Generosity and compassion are my true luxuries. I don't indulge in them often."
The soldier in him was suspicious about her generosity, nagging him to question her. "What's your agenda?"
At that, Ocelota opened her eyes. "Excuse me?"
"Why are you with the lizards?"
"They're called the Drago Tribe."
"Whatever. Why are you with them? Besides being just 'generous?'"
She blinked. And then answered. "I see them as a chance to get out of El Dara. Start a new life."
Panthro was baffled. "Why? You got everything here! You're willing to leave a life of luxury for a life on the road during a war?"
Ocelota laughed, but her usual mirth-filled voice was dull.
"Luxury? All I have are an empty house, too many clothes, too much food for one cat and no living family. Just their skulls."
Panthro glanced to the skulls and grimaced.
" El Dara may look perfect but it's not. Especially for me. The house of Dalí is dead. I'm not. I am the only surviving member of one of El Dara's oldest families. My nobility is a blessing and a curse. I may live like royalty here, but at a dangerous price I never asked to pay. So yes, I made a deal with the Drago tribe. I house them and provide them intel on Muta in exchange of allowing me to come with them. That's why I'm praying. To apologise to my family for leaving the family home and the city we hold prominent standing in for centuries."
Panthro was in awed of a deeper, more serious side to the socialite.
"It's not just me. My kids aren't safe here either."
"Your kids?"
"Lex-A and Dobby. Lex-A is betrothed to another lynx that half her grandfather's age, and that is still old for her. And Dobby is always bullied by the guards just for being a dog, although he's the cutest thing. You saw how they treated him at the banquet. He's the sweetest, kindest, most polite child you could ever meet. He doesn't deserve that. He cooked dinner for everyone! So personally, I like to get them out of there as soon as possible."
Once again, Panthro was amazed by how protective she was over cubs that weren't even hers.
"Do you want kids? I mean, kids of your own?"
"As many as I could have! But my options are limited here. I can only have pure ocelot cubs."
"But you're only the only ocelot here."
"Exactly, handsome. This place is holding my right to love and to be a mother hostage."
She reached out behind her, setting her hair free from its decorated hairstyle. Once freed, her hair fell in loose, limp curls from being restrained all day, cascading over her shoulders to the end of her chest.
"I want to experience new things, feel new things…"
She leaned in, grinning at him. Panthro found himself smiling back, but he suddenly remembered what Tlatoani said to him at the feast.
"But you're supposed to be in mourning for your betrothed."
"My betrothed was my twin brother who died when I was 7 due to an untreated fever."
Panthro almost threw up. "Your twin brother? Kit would rather kiss Kaynar than marry her twin brother!"
Ocelota didn't know who Kaynar was, but she got the idea. "Oceloco was the only male ocelot apart from my father. When my brother died, I was expected to mate with my father, but he died shortly after. As you noticed, there's a shortage of good men in El Dara." She eyed him just like she did when they first met. "Until now."
Panthro stared at her. "So…you're willing to follow me into a battlefield?"
Ocelota's smile didn't drop. "Handsome, I'll follow you anywhere."
Panther and ocelot shared a long gaze that broke when Ocelota yawned.
"I better head to bed. So should you."
She held her hand out. Unlike before, Panthro took it gently and kissed it like a gentleman, feeling more confident in flirting with her. His robotic hand didn't bother her at all.
"Sweet dreams, general." She bid, turning away.
Her tail stroke his chin as she walked away, disappearing into the hall.
He rubbed his chin. And grinned.
"Good night, milady."
The quotes between Panthro and Kat about Ocelota at the beginning are from the movie, Ice Age: The Meltdown.
Ocelota's home is inspired by villas from Ancient Rome.
Chamelyon's comment "At least she didn't make you wear a metal bikini." is a reference to Princess Leia's metal bikini in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi.
Th twins teasing Lion-O for dreaming about Leophelia are quotes from Brother Bear 2.
"The hairless runt?" is a reference to Tarzan.
The shrine Ocelota has dedicated to her family is based on ofrendas from the Day of the Dead festivities in Mexico.
OCs
Rudolph 'Ralph' Theodore Walter Donar
A 7-year-old human boy who loves animals and history, especially ancient civilisations, and carries a journal to write down his adventures.
Inspired by Mowgli (Disney's The Jungle Book) and Spencer Reid (Criminal Minds)
His name is a homage to Theodore Walter 'Tobin' Wolf, the creator of the ThunderCats cartoon in the 1980s series.
His name Rudolph 'fame-wolf, glory-wolf' while his nickname Ralph means 'wolf counsel', as a reference to Mowglu who was raised by wolves.
His surname Donar means 'ancient thunder god' as a reference to the ThunderCats.
His clothes have the colours of the ThunderCats and Drago Tribe – black, red, blue, green, and purple.
Voice Actor- Tara Strong (Ben Tennyson in Ben 10)
Lizadro
Leophelia's caring adoptive father and the wise and strong leader of the Drago Tribe.
Voice Actor- Pierce Brosnan (Chiron in Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief)
Snakayla
Leophelia's foster sister and best friend.
A Black Mamba, the longest and fastest snake in the world.
Strong and capable of superspeed. Sassy and short-tempered.
Inspired by Ino Yamanaka from Naruto and Monique from Kim Possible.
Voice actor- Raven-Symoné (Raven Baxter in That's So Raven also Monique in Kim Possible)
Komo
One of Leophelia's foster brothers.
The brains and the muscle.
A Komodo Dragon, the largest species of lizard.
A mechanic/engineer like Donatello (TMNT) and Tech E. Coyote (Loonatics Unleahsed).
Voice actor- Josh Keaton (Shiro in Voltron: Legendary Defender)
Chamelyon
One of Leophelia's foster brothers.
A chameleon. Capable of changing his skin to camouflage.
His name is pronounced 'chame' and the French pronunciation of Lyon.
Cool-headed and calm – unless he's behind the wheel of a vehicle.
Voice actor- Cary Elwes (Gareth in Quest for Camelot)
