Part 31

The Feliner immediately took off for New Thundera. Tygra and Panthro were in the pilot and copilot seats, Lion-O sat behind them, worried and Bengali and Pumyra sat in the seats in the back of the ship.

"Try to see if you can get through Cat's Lair again, Tygra." Lion-O told Tygra.

Tygra opened communication channels to Cat's Lair on New Thundera. "This is Tygra. Come in Cat's Lair. Cheetara, WilyKit, WilyKat, anybody come in." He got nothing but static. "It's no use, Lion-O. No one is answering."

"Try using the sword, Lion-O." Panthro suggested.

Lion-O nodded and pulled out his sword. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight." He commanded his mighty blade. Through the sword's hilts, he saw an image of WilyKit and WilyKat in chains being pushed around in the RatStar towards a prison cell. He saw Cheetara in the RatStar lying on a flat table with wires from different machines attached to her head. The final image he saw was Leela hidden safe in the lair.

"Leela's safe, the twins are chained and are being taken to a prison cell..."

"And Cheetara?" Tygra asked concerned.

"The mutants have machines attached to her head. By Thundera, what are they doing to her?" He asked aloud and became angry. "If they've harmed her in any way, I swear I'll kill them with my bear hands."

"I understand how you feel, Lion-O, but you can't kill them. It will only hunt you for the rest of your life." Panthro told him. "I know that from experience." He mumbled.

"What did you say, Panthro?" Tygra asked in the copilot seat.

"Just cursing the mutants." He lied.

"Maybe you're right, Panthro, but can't you go any faster?"

"We're going at full speed now." Panthro told him as they flew as fast as the Feliner would take them to New Thundera.

Rataro led WilyKit and WilyKat to their prison cells in the RatStar. Slythe, Monkian and Jackalman followed behind the twins. Rataro took in a deep breath and let it out. "Smell that, boys. That's the smell of victory."

"Smells like garbage to me." WilyKat whispered to his sister.

Rataro stopped and turned around angry. "What did you say, you runts? Never mind. It doesn't matter now that I've won."

"Hoo. Hoo. We haven't won, yet, Rataro. What about Lion-O's wife? We still need to find her. That will make Lion-O surrender for sure." Monkian said.

Rataro groaned. "They have a brain, but they do not know how to use it. We have we need to destroy the Thundercats, particularly Lion-O."

The three mutants looked as if they had no idea what Rataro was talking about.

"Cheetara, you fools! We have Cheetara! Don't you remember the plan?" Rataro asked angrily.

"I thought Vultureman was to combine his inventions of the telepathy beam and voice imitator to send a false signal to the Thundercats on New Thundera, making them think that their friends on 3rd Earth were in danger, so they leave New Thundera abandoned and we attack and capture the remaining Thundercats and the people of Thundera hostage." Slythe said.

"So that's how they did it." WilyKit understood.

Rataro just realized that the twins were listening to everything they said. He opened one of the prison cells and pushed them in. "So you little brats won't get too noisy." He slammed the cell in front of them. "Yes, Slythe, that was what Vultureman did and holding Thundera hostage was my plan."

"Was? Why did you change it?" Slythe asked.

"Cheetara."

Vultureman arrived on New Thundera as soon as Rataro told him he won. When he arrived, he went straight to the room where Cheetara was being kept. Cheetara lied flat on a table in a medical room of the RatStar. Attached to her head, were wires connected to various machines. He injected a sedative in her so she would remain unconscious while he did his work on her.

"Time to prepare you for your mission, Cheetara." Vultureman said wickedly and turned the machine on.

The machines begin sending images of the Thundercats in her mind. At first it was individual pictures of the Thundercats and then group pictures. Vultureman was working on a large screen by the machines that was sending Cheetara images. He picked up a small microphone and started talking in it.

"The Thundercats are your enemies." His voiced echoed in Cheetara's head. "They betrayed you." He punched in some keys and a picture of the mutants appeared on the screen. "The mutants are your friends. The mutants have supported you."

Cheetara's head begin turning left and right. Her eyes closed she spoke. "No, that's not true. The Thundercats are my friends. The mutants are my enemies."

Vultureman turned a knob increasing the electric energy on the wires that were on Cheetara's head. Cheetara screamed in pain and Vultureman sent an image of Lion-O in her head.

"Lion-O is your enemy. He betrayed and hurt you. He dumped you and married another woman."

"That's not how it was." Cheetara tried to resist.

"Yes, it was. He never loved you. He loved Leela all along." He sent a picture of Leela to her brain. "Leela is your enemy. She's hated you from the beginning and you hate her."

Cheetara wasn't disagreeing now.

Vultureman smiled, knowing that he got her now. "Leela has done nothing but cause trouble for you. Leela turned Lion-O against you. He loves her and not you, always and forever."

"No, it can't be true. It's not true." Cheetara said weakly and screamed when Vultureman gave her another electric shock.

"Oh, but it is. It is true. You know it's true. You just haven't accept it yet, Cheetara. Accept it. Accept it. Accept it." His voice was persuasive and powerful over the cheetah. He planted intimate images of Lion-O and Leela in her head, making her believe what she was seeing.

Cheetara finally gave in. "It's true. I didn't want to believe it, but it is true."

A wicked smile crept on Vultureman's face. "You're finally coming around, Cheetara. The rightful thing to do is seek revenge."

The Feliner flew at full speed to its destination. On the Feliner, Lion-O thought back to last night when Rataro had escaped.

The mutants grabbed the unconscious Rataro and ran to the RatStar. The Thundercats ran after them. When they got outside the pyramid, the RatStar was taking off.

"We should go after them, Lion-O." Panthro said.

"Forget it. We'll get them next time." Lion-O said confidently. (24)

"I should've listened to you, Panthro. You told me that we should go after them, but I didn't listen. How could I have been so stupid?" Lion-O blamed himself.

There's a no brainer. Tygra thought and hid a smile.

"Don't blame yourself, Lion-O. It's not your fault. No one thought this would happen." Pumyra told him.

"I guess you're right, Pumyra. Thanks."

"We don't have to wait long now, Lion-O. We're approaching Thundera." Bengali said.

"Cheetara? Why did you change your plan because of her?" Slythe asked confused.

Rataro noticed the twins listening and motioned the other mutants to follow him. When they were too far away for the twins to hear, he stopped and begin thinking to last night when Cheetara used her telekinetic powers on him, sending him flying across Mumm-Ra's pyramid and knocking him out. "There is no way I'm going to let a woman defeat me, especially a Thundercat. That broad even challenged me today. A woman who embarrasses me in battle must pay." He said angrily and smiled. "And she will, by killing the person she loves most."

The mutants arrived at the room Cheetara was in as Vultureman stepped out.

"Have you done it?" Rataro asked.

A smile appeared on his face. "See for yourself." He opened the door. Cheetara stood there like a robot.

"Who's your lord and master?" Rataro asked smugly.

"You are, Rataro." Cheetara answered.

"What is your mission?"

"To destroy Lion-O by any means possible." Cheetara answered and smiled sinisterly.

"Good." He said and a loud, booming noise from outside knocked everyone to the ground.

"Hoo. Hoo. What was that?" Monkian asked.

Vultureman switched the monitors to outside. "It's the Feliner."

"You know what to do, Cheetara?" Rataro asked.

"Leave the boy to me." Cheetara said darkly.

Lion-O was the first to jump out of the Feliner. He saw Slythe, Monkian, and Jackalman run out of the RatStar. "Tygra, go find Leela. Panthro and Pumyra take care of the mutants. Bengali, you're with me. When we get inside the RatStar, I want you to free the twins. I'll find Cheetara." Lion-O said authoritatively.

While Panthro and Pumyra fought the mutants, Bengali and Lion-O sneakily got in the RatStar and split up. Bengali searched through the ship and heard the twins struggling to get free. Bengali took out his hammer and shot the lock off the door.

"WilyKit, WilyKat, are you two all right?" the white tiger asked when he opened the door.

"We're fine. It's Cheetara." WilyKit said.

"Cheetara? What about her?"

"The mutants did something to her. I don't know what, but Rataro said that Cheetara will destroy the Thundercats, mainly Lion-O." WilyKat explained.

"Lion-O is searching for Cheetara now." Bengali said.

"We've got to stop him. Who knows what Cheetara may do." WilyKit said.

Lion-O went through almost every room, searching for Cheetara. Finally, he saw her standing at the end of the hall.

"Cheetara." He ran to her and gave her a hug. "You're all right."

She pulled away from him. "I am, but you're not." She smile wickedly and shot her telekinetic powers at him.

Outside the mutant ship, the Thundercats had just finished defeating Slythe, Jackalman and Monkian. Tygra and Leela joined them outside. They tied the mutants and became distracted when they saw Lion-O being blown out of the mutant ship by 20 feet.

"What was that?" Pumyra asked.

"That was Lion-O being blown 20 feet." Panthro answered.

"Yes, but by what or who?" Leela asked.

A glowing Cheetara stepped out of the ship and shot at Lion-O some more.

"Cheetara." They all gasp.

Lion-O put the Sword of Omens behind his back. "I will not use the sword to fight you."

"Too bad. I'd like to see how I pair up against the Sword of Omens." Cheetara said giving him another dose of her power. Lion-O yelled in pain.

Leela ran to Lion-O's side. "Stop this right now." Leela ordered.

Cheetara looked at Leela, eyes growing with anger. "You are the cause of my pain." She shot Leela with her telekinetic powers until she fell to her knees. "And for that, you must die."

Rataro and Vultureman were watching outside the RatStar. "Cheetara was brainwashed to kill Lion-O, but apparently Cheetara's hatred of Leela is coming out as well." Vultureman noticed.

"Whatever works." Rataro said and cheered Cheetara on.

"Cheetara, don't do this. You don't want someone's death on your head." Lion-O told her.

Cheetara was still looking at Leela. She raise her hand above her head and Leela floated off the ground. Cheetara moved her hands as if she was throwing something and Leela went flying as if she was being thrown like a rag doll. Tygra caught her. She was knocked out.

Cheetara turned to Lion-O projected her telekinetic powers on him again. "You would want me to spare her since you love her. You used me, abused my heart and you shall pay."

Lion-O screamed in agony. "I don't love her, only you, and I never meant for your heart to be broken.

Cheetara released her hold on him. "No, you don't love me." She shook her head.

"Yes, I do."

"Don't listen to him, Cheetara." Rataro told her. "He's lying to you. He doesn't love you. He's only trying to save his skin."

"No, don't listen to him, Cheetara. He brainwashed you against me. You must fight it. Remember my eternal love for you." He walked towards her and put his hand in hers.

Cheetara looked confused. She didn't know who to believe. As she look at him, she remembered their first kiss, dates together, his proposal, and their wedding day. Her heart began to soften as she thought about their happy times together, but then she remember something else that happened on their wedding day: Leela's arrival. Her heart became dark again when she remembered Lion-O and Leela's wedding, her gloating how wonderful Lion-O is, the two of them kissing and false intimate pictures Vultureman planted in her head.

"Liar." She accused Lion-O and pulled her hand away from Lion-O's. "You said you would never hurt me, but you did when you married Leela. Falling in love with you, was the biggest mistake of my life. I hate you for all the pain you caused me, and for that, you shall pay with your life."

Cheetara glowed again and picked Lion-O off the ground with one hand. Her hair began to flowing, her eyes glowed and with her free hand, she formed a ball of energy in her hand.

Panthro saw what Cheetara was preparing to do. The Thundercats followed his lead as they ran to her. "Don't do it, Cheetara!"

"Shut up!" She shouted at Panthro and the rest.

"Cheetara, don't make us take you out." Pumyra said.

Cheetara laughed. "As if you could." She threw the ball energy at them and a bright, yellow cage surrounded Panthro, Tygra, Pumyra, and Leela.She looked at Lion-O furiously. "You're friends can't save you now."

"They're your friends too, Cheetara. Remember all the good times all us had." Lion-O tried to get her to remember.

"I am not interested in reminiscing." She warmed up another ball of energy. This time, determined that it will kill Lion-O.

Rataro watches with anticipation. "Yes! That's it! Do it! Finish him off!" Rataro cheered.

Cheetara nodded at Rataro and looked at Lion-O. "Farewell, Lion-O." Cheetara said coldly.

"I forgive you, Angel Face." Lion-O said sincerely.

Cheetara froze at Lion-O's words. "Angel Face?"

"Yes. My pet name for you. Do you remember?"

Cheetara thought back over a year ago when she and Lion-O begin dating. Cheetara was in

the control room when Lion-O quietly came in with something behind his back. He kissed the top of her head. She turned around.

"Lion-O--" She stopped when she noticed his hand behind his back. "What have you got?" She asked smiling. Her eyes lit up when Lion-O pulled out a dozen roses and handed it to her. "Thank you. They're beautiful." She gave him a quick kiss.

"Not as beautiful as you, Angel Face." He commented.

Cheetara eyes moistened. "You love calling me that."

"Well, it's true. You have the face of an angel." He said and kissed her.

Cheetara looked up at Lion-O confused again. She looked as if she was going to cry.

"Look into my eyes, Cheetara, and you'll see I love you now as I did then. Lion-O told her.

"He's playing with your mind like he played with your heart!" Rataro shouted.

"Rataro is the one lying to you. He brainwashed you into hating me.In your heart, you know I'm telling the truth."

The brainwashing Vultureman did to Cheetara was beginning to break. She was now realizing that Lion-O was telling the truth. She released Lion-O and threw her energy ball at the RatStar. Rataro and Vultureman went inside for safety only to find Bengali and the twins standing in front if them.

"Going somewhere, mutants?" Bengali asked.

Cheetara saw that they were captured, fell to her knees and buried her head into her hands, crying horribly. She couldn't believe what she had did to the Thundercats, what she almost did to Lion-O. The tears continued and wouldn't stop. It came out of her eyes, nose, and mouth. It seem that all her feelings that was buried inside her for the past six months were finally coming out. The Thundercats stood in silence. Pumyra cried silently for everything Cheetara's been through. Tygra was sad, too, but also angry at Lion-O for hurting her. Panthro knew that she would finally snap, but he didn't think it would be this soon. Lion-O stood over her. He tried to scoop her up in his arms, but Cheetara wouldn't let him at first, but finally allowed him too.

"Shh. It's going to be all right." He said gently stroking her hair. He was sad most of all and knew what he had to do to make Cheetara happy. He carried her back to the lair and stayed with her until she fell asleep.

Later that evening, Tygra came in, still looking sad. "We retrieve the Sword of Plundarr from Rataro, and Mandora just got the mutants two hours ago. She was taking them to Way Outback when a mutant ship rescued Rataro and left the others with Mandora." He could tell Lion-O wasn't listening.

"How's Cheetara?"

"She's been sleeping peacefully now for a few hours. I hate to see her like this and I know what would make her better."

"What would that be?" Tygra asked.

"I'm going to send her to 3rd Earth. There she can rest and get away from all this and me. Her heart is broken and she needs to heal. Panthro told me that this would happen, but I didn't believe him."

"How long are you going to let her stay on 3rd Earth?" Tygra asked again.

"As long as she needs to. I don't want her to hurt anymore, especially when I'm the cause."

"When will she leave?"

"Whenever Pumyra and Bengali leave. They already know this. You were right, Tygra. You told me that I should stay away from her and send her away, but I didn't listen completely. I made it that I would still see her, not caring how she would feel. I've been selfish." He criticized himselfas he looked at the sleeping cheetah. "I'm not going to do that anymore." He sighed. "I should go. Cheetara doesn't need to see me when she awakens. When she does, Tygra, could you-"

"I will, Lion-O."

"Thanks, Tygra. You are a great advisor and friend." Lion-O told him and left.

Tygra sat at Cheetara's beside. "I have no choice but to let you go, my love, but when you return, I know you will come to me." And with that, he gave her a light kiss on her lips.

Cheetara boarded the Feliner with Bengali and Pumyra two days later. When Tygra told her what Lion-O had planned for her, she didn't say anything. However, she let Tygra hold her the rest of the night and told him how she will miss everybody. On the day of her departure, she said her good-byes to everyone, except for Lion-O and Leela. Leela was watching from the control room with a glass of champagne in her hand and Lion-O watched her leave from the control room, thinking it was best that she didn't see him. As the Feliner began to fly away, she caught a glimpse of Lion-O.

"Good-bye, Lion-O." She whispered.

Part 32-33: Panthro sorts out his relationship with Vasa. Leela learns about Tygra and Cheetara relationship and comes to a startling realization. Lion-O buries his relationship with Cheetara and moves on.