What Would Life Be Like? -- Chapters 1, 2, and 3
This is the second story in the current series. Synopsis: Lion-O and Cheetara wrestle with some tough decisions but those are put on hold when MummRa intervenes. Trouble arises and when it comes down to it can the right decision be made?What Would Life Be Like?
By 18TCLover
Chapter 1
Panthro sat in the command chair in Cat’s Lair on New Thundera. The sun began to crest over the mountains in the distance. The sky’s dark black became lighter shades of navy blue until finally the sun let it become its usual light pale blue. Clouds dotted the skyline and it would prove to be another wonderful day.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” A voice alerted the panther to their presence.
“Indeed it is. I never tire of it but I’m guessing that’s not why you’re up three hours before your shift.” Panthro smiled.
“You’re right. I need your advice on something.” The visitor sat down in the chair next to him.
“Uh huh and it wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain ThunderCat female would it?” Panthro smirked as Lion-O turned as red as his mane.
“I thought so.” The panther chuckled.
“That obvious huh?” Lion-O wondered.
“So what’s up?” Panthro continued to smile and avoided the question.
“As Lord of the ThunderCats, I can’t afford to be with someone. Our enemies would use that against me. I could jeopardize everyone’s safety all because of my feelings for one. As a group, we can’t afford it. My needs and wants can never overshadow the needs of the ThunderCats or the people we’re sworn to protect. I guess my only option is to be alone but that is the last thing I want. My heart says one thing and my head says another and I’m very confused.” Lion-O confessed. It wasn’t like the lion to open up like this but Panthro understood. He had loved once before.
“You have matured very much since the burden and privilege of becoming the Lord of the ThunderCats those few years ago and I suppose that Tygra and I should have seen this coming. All the training in the world doesn’t prepare you for women. They are a complicated creatures.” The panther told him.
“So what do I do?” The lion wondered.
“You have a few options. We all know that you would do anything to protect New Thundera and Third Earth and you’ve become a great leader. We would follow you into Hell and back without question and so I understand your hesitance. But you can’t go your whole life without admitting to the person you care the most about, how you feel. You must tell her. You never know what’s going to happen in our line of work. She could be here one day and gone the next. You can’t live your life without knowing what it was like to be together. Trust me on this.” Panthro said.
“But what about the possible consequences?” Lion-O asked.
“You have to deal with them when they come. Don’t live your life in fear. Your enemies will use that fear.” The panther warned.
“But what if I make the wrong decision?” His friend was still unsure.
“I can’t help you make decisions but I have no doubt that you’ll make the right ones.” Panthro said. Lion-O exhaled slowly and tried to sort out what the panther had said.
“All right, I’ll give it a shot.” He nodded.
“Atta boy. Now why don’t you go bug Snarf for some breakfast? You still have two hours before your shift.” Panthro suggested. Lion-O thanked the engineer and walked down to the kitchen. There was a lot to absorb but somehow he would figure out what to do.
Cheetara made her bed and then walked over to her window. The sun was bright and it would be a warm day. However, her thoughts weren’t about the sun or the weather, they focused on her inability to act. She had the chance to tell Lion-O a few months ago how she felt and she squandered the opportunity. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the comm beeping near her door.
“Cheetara, Pumyra is on the vid-link. Can you get down here in a few minutes?” Panthro asked.
“Be right there.” The cheetah answered. In a flash, she was out of her room and racing down the hall.
Chapter 2
“Hey Pumyra. How’s it going on Third Earth?” Cheetara wondered.
“Everything’s great just giving our usual check in report. All seems quiet around here.” The puma replied.
“Well not exactly quiet.” Ben-Gali said in the background. Pumyra turned red enough to match the color of her ThunderCat insignia.
“Good land, I hope those new walls are thick enough, otherwise all of Third Earth might hear you.” Panthro chuckled and Cheetara tried to stifle her laughter.
“Well we haven’t gotten any complaints so far.” The white tiger joked.
“You two are brutal. I thought Lion-O set you straight about that stuff?” Cheetara smiled.
“Speaking of which, where is the Lord of the ThunderCats? I thought that he’d be here for the report.” Pumyra said, quickly changing the subject.
“I sent him down to breakfast. I’m heading down there myself in a few minutes. I smell Snarf whipping up his famous candy fruit pancakes.” Panthro said.
“Well why don’t you go save me some and I’ll be down soon.” The cheetah told him. He seemed to take the hint and took his leave of the group.
“I guess I’ll wander down to the galley and see if I can’t rustle up some grub for us.” Ben-Gali smiled and left the room leaving nothing but the two females and the video screen between them.
“All right, spill it.” Pumyra said.
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Mumm-Ra stood before his cauldron trying to come up with an idea to rid himself of the ThunderCats and make sure he stayed in the good graces of the Ancient Spirits of Evil. He had once again botched the last job and the Lockti had given the ThunderCats instructions to modify their current equipment. Luckily Grune had made a fool out of himself and the Ancient Ones had once again been forgiving.
“Bark! Bark!” Ma-Mutt wagged his tail happily expecting Mumm-Ra to throw the bone he had picked up.
“Not now Ma-Mutt! I’m trying to rid us of the ThunderCats.” The mummy shooed the horrible hound away. The poor creature had a sad look on his face as he walked slowly away and plunked himself down over by the sarcophagus. He whined and Mumm-Ra ignored it at first but when the whine became louder the ever-living source of evil spun around and yelled,
“I don’t have time to play fetch! Now leave me alone!” At this Ma-Mutt silenced his whine and turned around so he was facing the tomb. Suddenly, Mumm-Ra had an idea.
“That’s it! Time!” He began to chant in a language not heard for a thousand years. The waters of his cauldron began to roll and boil. Soon the torrid froth parted to show an object rise forth.
“The ThunderCats will never be able to resist capturing another piece of the treasure of Thundera. Too bad this piece has been altered; they will never know what hit them. The Thunder-Granter brought many years of peace when Claudus held it. But instead of peace it will bring nothing but destruction!” His evil cackle reverberated off the walls of the onyx pyramid.
“Now all that’s left to do is to put it some place they’ll find it. Ancient Spirits of Evil…” the words were barely out of his mouth before the Ancient Ones granted him his wish of becoming Mumm-Ra the ever-living. Once the transformation was complete, he took to the skies with the tainted Thunder-Granter under his left arm.
Chapter 3
Lion-O sat at Cat’s Lair’s control panels and flipped the views on the screen. Despite the automated sector scanner that Panthro had installed back when the Lair was built, the Lord of the ThunderCats liked to scan manually to pass the time.
“Bored yet?” A familiar voice came soon after he heard the control room doors open.
“Not yet.” Lion-O smiled as Cheetara sat down next to him.
“I thought you’d be out for your run.” He said.
“After eating Snarf’s candy fruit pancakes? Are you kidding? Those things are delicious but they really aren’t conducive to putting out my top speed.” She laughed.
“I know what you mean. I’d probably fall asleep at the switch if I hadn’t downed three cups of coffee after I ate them.” Lion-O told her. After that the two slipped into a semi-comfortable silence. Both wanted to say something but neither one really knew how. The two knew the warnings, Lion-O probably better since he had to talk with Pumyra and Ben-Gali. All the ThunderCats knew that getting involved emotionally with their fellow Cats was a dangerous thing and they really didn’t need to be warned but as Lord of the ThunderCats, Lion-O had to follow the rules.
“There seems to be a disturbance in sector H. Where is Panthro?” The lion wondered.
“He’s working on the Lockti technology.” She told him.
“Then I guess it’s just me and you.” He quickly called the ThunderKittens up to the control room and then the lion and the cheetah headed for the hanger.
A few minutes later, they both sat in the ThunderClaw, flying over the New Thundera landscape.
“What kind of disturbance was it?” Cheetara asked.
“The sensors picked up some strange readings. One minute the wind was hitting fifty miles an hour and the next it was down to five. Then some seismic activity appeared despite the fact that the nearest the volcano is over in sector N, which is around sixty miles from here.” Lion-O told her.
“That does seem odd.” She said. Soon the ThunderClaw, landed at the sight of the disturbance to find everything seemingly normal until the ground began to shake beneath their feet.
“What is that?” Cheetara asked.
“You don’t recognize me?” An all too familiar voice boomed before them.
“Mumm-Ra!” Lion-O gritted his teeth and pulled the mighty Sword of Omens from the Claw Shield.
“You’re too late. I have the Thunder-Granter and nothing you do will stop me from using it to spread evil all over this planet and Third Earth. The once mighty ThunderCats will fall and the dawn of my empire will begin.” The mummy said. It was apparent to both Lion-O and Cheetara that the Ancient Spirits of Evil had transformed Mumm-Ra with the added bonus of being taller and bigger than the last time they met. This however did not deter them and the Lord of the ThunderCats was the first to act.
“HO!!!!!” He shouted. The Sword of Omens extended to its full length and an energy blast hit the ever-living source of evil squarely on the chest. He howled in pain and then sent a shot back in Lion-O’s direction. The lion caught the shot in the arm and let out a loud growl. Cheetara raced past the slightly injured cat with her bo-staff in hand. She quickly used the staff to smack the mummy right between the eyes. Mumm-Ra dropped the Thunder-Granter and stumbled backwards. Cheetara advanced and used her staff to knock him down. She pointed the end of her staff at the mummy’s head and was about to give him a nasty headache when Lion-O stopped her.
“Come on. We have to get the Thunder-Granter back to Cat’s Lair immediately. Leave him.” Cheetara nodded and the two quickly grabbed the piece of the treasure of Thundera and climbed aboard the ThunderClaw.
To Be Continued...
This is the second story in the current series. Synopsis: Lion-O and Cheetara wrestle with some tough decisions but those are put on hold when MummRa intervenes. Trouble arises and when it comes down to it can the right decision be made?