After the story, read my note at the end for an amazing important massage and future updates on my other stories~! (Humankind's Last Hope , Spirit's Revenge ect…)

(Extra note: I re-uploaded this, because I think there was a tech error on the site and none of the followers got an alert! Sorry guys! You've been waiting so long for this update, then that happens! DX )

Story

She said each word slowly. "Tygra's massages my legs." Each word she spoke, the more red her face got. "The massage makes me feel better." When she was done speaking the sentence for the hundredth time that day, she didn't feel better. She felt completely and totally embarrassed.

Yet Tygra didn't seem to notice. "Good job." In fact, he looked pleased. "I think you get it now."

She nodded her head. "Yes, I understand." That she is an idiot. Placing her hand over her still reddened face she sighed. This whole time she has been saying something wrong— wrong and inappropriate— wrong, inappropriate, and possibly could be considered openly flirting.

God, just go ahead and kill her now. Get it over with.

A touch. Stroking her hair between her ears. She fought back the purr that wanted to come out. "Do you want to go outside and take a break?"

She jumped to her feet. "Yes!" Anything to get out of here!

Tygra chuckled. "You are free to go."

She was a black blur, running out of the room as fast as she could go, and leaving the embarrassing experience far behind her.

.-

She found her way through the lair and outside without trouble. Since Ramum's suggestion about using her nose, she has started to notice the scents more clearly and it has helped her a lot. She hasn't once gotten lost today, and she has been rather proud of that.

When she was outside in the fresh air, she inhaled deeply. Everything was so clean. Now she could understand Inuyashas complains a little better. If she could smell the smoke in her time, with her human nose, then it must have been worse for his dog senses. Good thing this world didn't have those issues. Being in that environment for so long would probably make her sick.

Thinking of home made the empty feeling in her chest tighten. The fact that she will never see her family and her home again still weighed on her. She looked over her shoulder, at the massive cat that constantly protected this land. Could Cat's Lair really be her home now? Could the ThunderCat's be her new family? She wasn't sure. All of this was really hard to think about.

Might be best if she went for a run or something. Cleared her head. She took off with no real direction set in mind.

Kagome ran until something tugged at her to stop. Something was wrong. Very wrong. She came to a halt and looked around. It was quiet. She strained her ears and heard nothing. The stillness was too unnatural. No birds. No bugs. Not even the sound of wind in the leaves. It felt like she was trapped in a glass jar.

"?" What? "!" No sound came out. What was going on?

Slowly she took in her surroundings as she ventured deeper into the forest. She spotted some animals, grazing and acting natural, but still, she couldn't hear them. Was this forest enchanted? She paused and scratched her head, curious. A bright color to her side caught her attention. She did a double take.

"!" Flowers. Beautiful flowers. She bent down and sniffed. They smelt wonderful. She gathered a few of them in her arms, then an idea came to her mind. With a large smile she started her search.

.-

Her search lasted much longer then she thought. The sun was almost set when she finally wondered back to Tygra's laboratory.

The cat sighed in relief when she walked through the door. "I was about to start looking for you." His tone reminded her of a worried mother.

Her ears lowered. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Tygra reached up, stroking her head. "Just be careful next time." His touch almost had her purring. Mint surrounded her. She leaned into him with a sigh. Regretfully he stopped, leaving her feeling disappointed. "What is all of that?"

"Surprise." She smiled.

Walking over to one of his empty work tables, she laid down the objects in her arms, spreading them out. She begin plucking several ingredients and mixtures from his collection around the room. Tygra's eyes followed her everywhere. When she was done with what she needed, she started to mix them together. Mint. He was watching over her shoulder.

She turned to face him. Her nose brushed against his, and her eyes widened, caught off guard by his closeness. Trying to back away, her rear end hit the table. The objects shifted. With his cat reflexes he reached out and caught one of the glasses. Solid chest was pressed against hers. Cheeks brushing each other. "Sorry." His deep voice rumbled from his chest. She quivered.

What was that? "Tygra?" Her tone was soft and unsure.

His breathing was heavy. "Sorry." The second apology was a whisper as he turned his head towards her. Warm breath tickled her neck. "I was curious." Doesn't he know that gets cats in trouble? "Kagome?" Her heart quickened. "Are you alright?" A light touch of concern upon her side. Her whole body shivered. Tingles raced over her and she took a sharp inhale of air in surprise. He instantly pulled back. Worry and guilt overcame everything else on his features. "I'm sorry." He took a few steps backwards, to give her space.

Kagome was frozen. She didn't know what to do. Her only thought was the feeling of loss and how cold it was now that his body was gone.

Tygra scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." His apologies began anew. Seeing the usually calm cat so nervous made her smile. It was cute. "I wanted to see if you needed some help—"

She brushed her cheek against his neck affectionately. Purring erupted from her chest as she did so. The glass slipped from his hand and it shattered onto the floor. She jerked away from him. The look of pure shock was haunting on his face. Heat rushed into her cheeks in embarrassment.

"Sorry." A soft whisper of an apology slipped from her lips as she dashed away from him without warning.

"Kagome!" The sound of his call echoed down the hall as she fled full speed out of the room.

Tygra was left standing in the middle of his laboratory, dumbfounded. His face flushed red as he reached up and placed his palm over his neck. Her sweet scent filled every breath he took. "Did she—?" He shook his head. "Did she mean to do that?" She doesn't know how to speak English, but she has been a cat all of her life. She had to mean it. Didn't she? But then why did she apologize afterwords?

His pulse was still racing, remembering how good it felt. A deep growl rumbled in his chest. He leaned against the table and sighed, placing his face in his hands.

Why did she run away?

.-

It was no surprise that Kagome didn't get much sleep that night. She tossed and turned, replaying what happened over and over again in her mind. Each time her face got hotter and hotter. All she could do was place her cover over her heated face and try to get as much sleep as she could.

The next morning, Kagome's cheeks were flaming red before she even stepped into his lab. Her heart was pounding, and it only got worse when she saw his orange and black pattern against the blackboard. His back was to her, and she quietly watched him work without disturbing him. His muscles flexed as he moved the chalk across the board. She licked her lips, and her tail flicked behind her.

As if sensing her stare, he paused and looked over his shoulder. "Good morning." His smile had her stomach flip. "Kagome." Then it flopped.

"G-good morning." She stuttered. "Tygra."

He laid the chalk down. "I have something for you."

He walked to one of his work tables, picking up a bowl with white cream in it. "I believe this is for you." He held the bowl out to her. "Surprise."

Her face lit up and she smiled brightly at him. "Thank you!" Her arms wrapped around his neck as a purr filled her chest in glee.

Tygra chuckled. "You're welcome." He returned the hug with one arm, the other keeping the bowl safely away so it wouldn't spill. His palm touched her lower back and she shivered.

She pulled away from him and averted her eyes. "Sorry." She was nervous under his gaze.

He grasped her chin softly, turning her head so she could look at him. "No need to apologize." His eyes were gentle. Why was he looking at her like that? "What were you planning on doing with this?" He asked as he handed her the bowl.

She took it with a smile. "Cheetara."

"Ah." He nodded his head. "She would enjoy it."

"Thank you." She said again, then glanced to the ground. "Sorry I run."

He touched his neck and shifted his gaze as well. "It's okay." He cleared his throat and walked back towards the blackboard. "I was thinking about going with simple words like 'to' 'but' 'and' 'or'. You leave them out a lot, so I thought it would be best to go back over them again…" He quickly went into teaching mode, and the day's class began.

.-

"I like the ThunderCats." She repeated. "Snarf and I are best friends."

"Good." Another pleased smile. He was giving those to her a lot today. He crouched down in front of her, as she sat on her stool. Looking down at him was odd— A touch upon her cheek. Tinder. Sweet. She melted instantly, leaning into his hand as he cupped it gently. "Kagome." His thumb caressed her affectionately as he talked. "I will give my response to you later, okay? I was just surprised, thats all." She was in a daze until he removed his hand and she slowly came back to reality. Response? What? He noticed her confused expression. "You understand?"

No. "Yes."

He nodded his head and ran his clawed fingers through her hair. "You can take a break now, and give your gift to Cheetara."

She nodded dumbly, unable to produce words. Afraid that if she opened her mouth, a purr or mew would release instead.

He regrettably stopped touching her and stood up. He turned his back to her, going to the blackboard. She removed herself from her stool.

Kagome stared at him. Soaking everything in. His scent. Lingering touch. Body. Gentleness.

He was already erasing the board and writing her next lesson. Again, her eyes went to his muscles, watching them move as he wrote. Mint and rain filled her. She raised her hand, wanting to touch him- then froze.

She glanced down at the floor in confusion, and lowered her arm to her side. What was she doing? Shaking her head she turned away from him and grabbed the bowl that was still sitting on the table.

She left the tiger alone in his lab, feeling… strange. But she couldn't understand why.

.-

"What is it?" Cheetara tilted her head as she sniffed the bowl of cream in her hands. "Smells like flowers."

They were in her room. "Hair soap." Kagome said with a smile.

"Thank you." She hugged her without warning. She sounded excited. "I'll try it out today."

"You welcome." She returned the hug with a purr.

The female paused. Cheetara turned her head and sniffed. The female released her and pulled away. "Kagome?"

"Hmm?" She tilted her head.

"Did Tygra help you make this?" She asked, curious.

"Yes."

"You've been hanging out with him a lot recently."

Her smile brightened. "Tygra good teacher."

"Does he still make you feel good?" She smirked.

Kagome turned red. "No tease."

Cheetara laughed. "Sorry. I couldn't help it." After relishing in her embarrassment for a few more laughs, she became serious. "Kagome?" Once she knew she had her full attention she spoke again. "If you feel unsure just follow your instincts, alright? They won't do you wrong."

"What in-stink?" She asked.

Cheetara laughed again. "Instincts." She corrected. "Your cat feelings."

Cat feelings? "I think I understand." Maybe.

The older female smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "Just be careful. I like you, and I wouldn't want to see you get hurt."

"I like Cheetara too."

Truthfully, she really didn't understand what she was talking about, but oh well.

.-

Kagome still had extra time for her break, so she went for a run. The fresh air always cleared her head. She didn't get far when an aroma drifted her way through the breeze. Warm spices. She turned towards the scent with a smile.

Wonder what Lion-O is up to?

First came the smell of water, then the sound. Awhile after that, she spotted the river and lake. Hearing splashing she crouched down, not wanting to be spotted. She made sure to stay down wind and peeked around the tree line.

The lord of the ThunderCats was currently swimming without a care in the world. Didn't cats hate water? Noticing a pile a clothes laying on a large boulder, a grin plastered onto her face.

She got on all fours, slowly moving towards the grey stone as her eyes kept watch on the cat in the water. The closer she got to her target, the faster her heart beat. When she reached the rock, she snatched the clothes and weapons in one blur of motion. She looked at her prize. His top, sword, and shield. Did he swim in his shorts? Thats very modest of him. A small voice whispered a hint of disappointment that he wasn't skinny dipping like she thought-

Water splashing. It was close. Too close. He was getting out. Her ears perked up. Grass crunching. With each step it was getting louder. Her heart was pounding.

"What the—?" His tone gave away his confusion. "I thought I laid them right here…" She had to stop the giggles from giving away her position. Shuffling. He was moving around the rock. Her ears went on overdrive as she used them to figure out which way he went around the boulder. She carefully went the opposite direction. "Thats strange." She bit her lip, holding in her laughter. A shadow covered her hiding spot. "I found a thief."

She released a feminine squeak and took off running. A elegant leap from the boulder landed him right in front of her. He reached out and grabbed her, lifting her in the air above his head. She laughed, dropping all the stuff in her arms as she struggled. "Down!"

"Down?" He repeated, smirking. "Okay."

She screamed when she was thrown straight into the lake. Lion-O laughed, placing his arm over his stomach as the rumble filled the air. After a few seconds he got his breath. He paused, noticing that she didn't surface. "Kagome?" Worried, he leaned over the lake and scanned the water. "Kagome—!" She burst from the water, grabbed his wrist, and yanked him into the lake with her. She laughed. He surfaced and she was still laughing. "Thats it."

She gave another squeak when he started swimming towards her. Leaping out of the water, she ran for the tree line again. Air was forced from her lungs when his solid form tackled her to the ground. They rolled several times in the grass until he was on top. Both were panting, staring at one another. A loud purr was coming from her chest, showing her enjoyment. He released his own growl in response.

He smiled down at her. "Admit defeat and I'll release you."

Her purring only increased. "I never surrender."

"What was that?" He bent down, his ear close to her mouth.

Seeing an opening, she licked from his neck to his ear. He sucked in a breath and his grip on her arms loosened. In seconds the young lord was on his back with a 'oomph' staring at her with wide eyes. Her purring continued as she smiled down at him. Soft raven hair fell, becoming a black curtain around them. "Admit defeat and I'll release you." She repeated, her face hovering a few inches above his. Her tail flicked behind her in joy. He stared at her, oddly quiet. He was tense, and his expression wavered. Uncertainty. Confusion. She tilted her head, giving him an odd look. "Lion-O?" Did she say it wrong?

A cough. They both jumped. Tygra stood there with his arms crossed. "Enjoying your break?" Heat rushed into her cheeks, and she was on her feet in an instant. The tiger shook his head. "Is it alright if I take this thief off of your hands and give her punishment deserving of her crimes?"

Lion-O smirked. "By all means, go right ahead."

Her eyes widened, looking between the two. She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Homework?"

Tygra nodded. "Homework."

Her ears flattened to her skull and she groaned. The two males laughed.

.-

She stayed with Tygra hours past her usual time. Her homework consisted of her writing every English word he taught her that day on the blackboard. If that wasn't all, she had to use them in a sentence. If one was wrong, he would make her redo the whole thing with new sentences. It truly was punishment.

Finally, she placed her chalk down. She turned to the Tiger. He was standing at one of his work tables, mixing liquids. "Tygra?"

He looked up from his work. His eyes scanned the blackboard for a few seconds, then he nodded. "Your rate of learning is truly abnormal." Hoped that meant it was good.

She walked over to him with a smile. "I just needed a fresh of course."

He stared at her for a few seconds, his expression calculating. "I just needed a refresher course." He corrected. "You already knew most of this?"

"Some." She admitted. "But I not listen in class."

"That explains your exceptional learning speed." He nodded his head. "But you listened to me and that is what matters right now."

"We done?" She asked, her ears perking up.

"Yes. We are finished for the day."

She gave a pleased squeal of excitement and plopped down on the stool beside him. "Yes!" She lifted both of her legs in the air and began to rapidly move them up and down. "Massage!"

He frowned. "I'm sorry Kagome, but not today."

She pouted. "I finished class."

"Yes, and you did very well today." He agreed. "But I think it might be best if you no longer get massages as a reward for your hard work." He sighed, lowering his beaker onto the counter top. "I'm not going to give you anymore massages." But—! She loved it when he rubbed her legs— "unless you are in pain." He added.

She gave a fake wince. "Pain. Ow." She lifted her leg so her foot was in front of his face. "Massage."

A deep rumble of a chuckle came from his chest as he carefully pushed her foot down and away from him. "I mean seriously hurt."

She nibbled on her lip and tilted her head. "Why? Did I do wrong?"

"No, you didn't do anything wrong." He reassured her. "I don't—" He took a deep breath. "Just go to your room and get some sleep for now. We will talk about it later, okay?"

Her gaze went to the floor. He wanted her to leave. "Okay." So she left, going to her room to sleep. Why was he acting so odd?

On her way to her room, Lion-O's spicy scent entered her nose, and she paused.

The lord came around the corner. His head down, deep in thought. "Lion-O." She greeted with a smile.

His head snapped up with a look of surprise. "Kagome—" His voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "Kagome." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly and turned his head away, not giving eye contact. "What are you doing here?"

She motioned with her head to her bedroom door. "Sleep."

"Ah, of course." As if he just realized where he was. "Alright then." He turned towards his own room. "Good night." He casually tossed a wave over his shoulder as he went into his room.

She stood there for a moment, staring at his closed door with a pout. "Good night…"

.-

When Kagome woke up, she went straight to the laboratory. Tygra was at his work area, still mixing liquids and stuff together. "Good morning." She greeted him with a bright smile, her tail swaying back and forth.

"Morning." He barely mumbled beneath his breath, not taking his eyes away from the test tubes. He finished his mixing before he turned to fully face her. "I'm sorry Kagome but we will not be teaching today."

Her heart sank. "Why?"

"You have been learning all week at a fast pace. It would be good if you took a break today and relaxed your brain. It will help you remember the lessons better." He said. "You understand?"

Not really. "I understand." But she lied anyway.

He nodded his head. "Good." He turned back to his work. After standing by his side for several minutes he paused and turned back to her. "Is there something else you need?"

Coldness ached in her chest by his words. "I…" She was confused, unsure, and left standing there like an idiot. Does that mean he didn't want her around at all today? Was she bothering him? She just didn't know. Scanning the room slowly, she took it all in. His testing, work place, mixtures, tools, and then Tygra himself. "No." She said. "I'm fine."

She turned and left. A heavy weight pressing down on her as she exited the room and leaving the tiger behind.

She is being too sensitive. It's all in her head. Tygra just wanted her to take a break for the day, and he had work to do, thats all. Yet, the heaviness never stopped, even as she headed outside. She felt like running. Hopefully Cheetara won't reject her company as well.

.-

Lion-O was sitting beside the lake with Snarf. It was rather boring, but he needed time to think, and fishing gave him that. So far they caught nothing, and he didn't mind. His thoughts kept going to yesterday, and what happened with him and Kagome at this very spot.

It was fun, and seeing her playful side sparked something in him. It reminded him that he shouldn't be so serious all the time and he should relax and enjoy himself occasionally. Fishing wasn't really all that exciting, but it was something different. He was sure that if Kagome were with him, it wouldn't be as boring.

She was always so excited and curious. She acted like she was experiencing everything for the first time, and seemed so young for her age. It was much like himself, really. Is that why he felt so connected with her? Was it their age? How old was she? He realized that he knew nothing about her. What did she like? Where did she come from? What was she going to do after her trial was up?

The trial period…

Was she going to stay with them? Would she leave?

The thought of her leaving knotted his stomach. He didn't like that feeling. It was new and odd to him. Anytime he thought of her, he would have strange feelings and he couldn't understand them. It's been happening since yesterday. They were playing around, but then he couldn't breathe. All he could think about was how blue her eyes were, and how she smelt so good.

He slowly raised up from the grass and looked to his old friend. "Snarf, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Snarf." He mumbled between his bite of candy fruit. "What is it?"

"I've been feeling weird." He placed his hand over his chest. "Kinda like a pain or something."

"Pain?" Snarf instantly jump to his feet, worried. "Are you hurt?" He panicked. "Was you attacked, Snarf?"

He shook his head. "No, no. Nothing like that." He sighed, gathering his thoughts to try and explain it better. "I can't stop thinking weird things lately, and I can't get them out of my mind."

"Mind control! Snarf snarf!" He said. "That's bad!"

"Mind control?" What? "No. Thats not it either." Maybe asking Snarf wasn't the best idea. He always overreacted. "It's Kagome…" He allowed his words to trail off, not sure what else to say.

"Oh." Snarf stared at him for several seconds. "Oh!" The cat mewed in his own fit of jitters and he looked back and forth, as if trying to figure out which way to escape. "I see."

"You alright Snarf?" He asked, concerned.

"Snarf, snarf. I guess you are not a cub anymore." He fidgeted nervously and meowed. "They all grow up so fast…" He cleared his throat, finally making his decision. "Well, you see—" He grabbed two of his candy fruit, one in each claw. "Some times there are marshmallows, Snarf." He started, holding up one of his front paws as demonstration. "Then theres chocolate." He held up his other paw. "They are both different, but when together, they are better then when they were separated." He put the two fruits together. "If you add a campfire then the marshmallow melts the chocolate on contact." He pointed at him. "So you should be careful, snarf snarf."

Lion-O chuckled. "What are you going on about?"

Snarf sighed. "I'm not the best with these things." He gave a shrug and plopped both of the fruits into his mouth with a purr. "Delicious~ Snarf."

What was that all about? Lion-O shook his head and laughed again. Maybe he should just ask Panthro or Tygra. They might understand and help him better.

.-

"That hair soap you gave me is amazing, Kagome." Cheetara was practically purring as she ran her claws through her hair.

Kagome smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Good."

"Is something wrong?" Cheetara questioned with concern. "You seem sad all day."

Kagome sighed, slowly lifting her clawed hand out of the hot water. She watched the liquid slip between her fingers with a dazed expression. "Tygra."

"Tygra?" The female repeated. "Did he do something?"

She pouted, deciding she might as well try to explain. "Tygra mad. I no— I don't know why."

"He is mad at you?"

She shrugged. "Don't know."

Cheetara laughed. "Then why are you worried about it?"

Kagome growled. "I don't know."

The older female laughed some more. "Are you okay?"

"Feel bad." She admitted with a sigh.

"How bad?"

"Trash." She said. "Tossed out." God that sounded bad, but thats how she felt. She knew she was overreacting but it hurt.

"He tossed you out?"

She shook her head. "It nothing."

"It's not 'nothing' if it is bothering you." Her expression softened towards her.

"Tygra no give massage." She did her best to explain. "Then said no class today."

Cheetara hummed. "I see." After a moment she said. "You should tell him."

"No."

"Why not?" She asked. Kagome looked at the water with uncertainty, unable to give an answer. "Kagome?" When she made eye contact again, Cheetara asked. "Do you like Tygra?" She quickly reworded her question. "Do you like-like Tygra."

A blush went into her cheeks. "Cheetara tease again."

"No. I'm serious this time."

She wasn't joking with her? Kagome stared at her clawed hands. So new to her, just like everything else in the world. Did she really like Tygra? She couldn't tell. This new body of hers had her reacting to things so differently now. "I don't know."

Cheetara took a hold of the clawed hand Kagome was staring at so intensely. "You should go to Tygra." She said. "Ask him what 'mate' means." She told her with a playful smirk.

"Mate?"

The older female nodded. "See what he says." Then added. "You should get your answers then." She hummed. "When you do, come back to me and tell me everything."

Kagome tilted her head. "Okay."

"Good." Cheetara clapped her hands and stood up with a purr.

.-

"Tygra!" She called from the hallway. She shouted the words just as she was entering his lab. "What 'mate' mean?"

Tygra and Panthro froze. Feeling their tension, she did too. They look at one another then stared at her for a minute. Finally, Panthro cleared his throat. "Just give me the part when it's finished, Tygra." He said. "I'm not too good with those things…" He mumbled, quickly fleeing the lab with a cough. His cheeks were slightly pink in color.

Once he was gone, the tiger shifted uncomfortably. Everything was quiet, so she asked again. "What 'mate' mean?" She walked towards him with a curious expression.

Tygra turned to her. "Where did you hear that from?"

She answered. "Hot springs." Seeing his confused face, she added. "Cheetara."

"Of course she did." He grumbled. "Well it's…" He sighed. "When a male and a female respectively have equal affections for one another, they show their affections and then later…" He glanced at her. "They become mates." What? "Do you understand?"

"No."

Tygra rubbed his face vigorously. A rumble of a growl was in his chest. "I'm sorry Kagome, but I can't."

"Can't?" She repeated, showing she still didn't understand.

"Lion-O is…" His eyes shifted back and forth in thought. "He is our leader." Placing his hand over his chest he stared at her seriously. "Lion-O is a better choice, and it would benefit the whole clan…" He was unable to look her in the eyes. "If he seeks courtship with you, then I can not stand in the way."

What did he say? She didn't understand any of it, but why does her chest hurt? She placed her clawed hand over her heart. "I— I don't understand."

"Maybe it would be best if you didn't." He took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I want to be alone."

That, she understood clearly. "Okay."

He wanted to be alone, and right now, she did too.

.-

Walking down the empty halls wasn't as stressful now that she wasn't lost. Still, the strange feeling she had when she talked with Tygra wouldn't let go. She couldn't tell what he was talking about exactly, but she wished she did. He seemed sad and hesitant to tell her whatever it was. And what did Lion-O have to do with it?

It was as if she was missing something. Something she couldn't grasp. Couldn't understand, beyond just the words he spoke. She understood the words fine, to an extent. But still, what he said confused her. Why did she feel sad? What was he talking about? Why did everything have to be so complicated?

She growled, wanting to scream at the world. Why was she here? Why couldn't she go home? What happened to her family? Why— why were they taken from her?

Wet drops leaked from her eyes and she sniffled. Now look at her. Kagome rubbed her moist cheeks with a huff. Pathetic.

A hum. She continued to rub her eyes. The humming got louder. It caught her attention. Her ears twitched, and swiveled towards the sound. One step at a time the noise grew until she was standing at a door. Giving her eyes one final rub, she walked inside.

It was a small circular room. The Sword of Omens was resting upon a stand in the center. A light shined from above, highlighting it's crystal blade. The claw shield was laying beneath it as well. "Hello?" She spoke up. The strange humming was coming from the sword, so she stepped closer to it.

Carefully she picked it up, lifting it from it's resting place. The sound stopped. The eye pulsed and opened, revealing the ThunderCats symbol. A red beam emerged from the eye. The cat signal, only it hovered just a few inches from the eye. Slowly it became solid. A disk. It started to fall. She gasped and caught it.

She stared at the disk then at the sword that was in her other hand. What is this? It looked like the things the other ThunderCats wore with their outfits—

"What are you doing?"

She jumped, crying out in surprise. The disk fell onto the ground with a clatter. She turned around, placing her hand over her racing heart. "Lion-O! You almost gave me a heart-attack!"

"What are you doing?" He asked again.

She tried to explain. "The sword…" She looked down at it with a frown. "It sang."

"It sang?" He reached down and picked up the disk. "This is…" His voice trailed off as he stared at it.

"The sword has chosen her." A voice echoed in the room.

Lion-O quickly stood up. "Jaga!"

A translucent feline appeared from thin air in a shimmer of light. "It has sensed her power, and has already accepted her as a ThunderCat." The man explained.

"But we haven't finished her trial yet…" Lion-O tried to reason with the ghost. "Wait a minute— What power?"

The ghost chuckled. "Just look." He motioned with his chin to her.

Lion-O looked at her. She glanced away from the ghost and towards the male. Lion-O eyes widened in shock. He looked back and forth between them, then pointed at the ghost. "Can you see him?" She nodded her head. "She can see you!"

The ghost cat chuckled again. "Yes, Lion-O. She has many powers she doesn't know about, and can't control them yet, so you must protect her from any that would use her gifts for evil."

"Of course." The young lord placed his hand over his chest. "I have already promised I would protect her."

Jaga nodded, then turned to her. "Do not be afraid of who you are, and this world. Do not dwell upon the past so much, that you cannot see the future ahead of you. A future with friends and family. A home with people who care for you." The ghost grabbed his cape, and disappeared within the glow of light that he came from.

Kagome turned to Lion-O. "Jaga always confuse before leave?"

Lion-O huffed through his nose. "Yeah, he does that a lot."

Words of Confucius wisdom before disappearing without explanation. That sounds like something a ghostly figure would do. When she dies and becomes a ghost, she will do that too. Only her words would not be full of much wisdom, just complains, and the occasional scare to shave off the boredom.

"This is Lion-O's." She reached the sword out to him.

He took it with a nod. "And this is Kagome's." He held out the disk to her with a smile. "You are a ThunderCat."

A ThunderCat? She was one of them? But could she really accept this? "I don't—" She shook her head. "I don't want it." The tears from earlier threatened to return.

Lion-O's nose twitched. He looked sad and unsure at first, but after a moment he reached out and pulled her to his strong body. "It's alright." A deep rumble came from his chest, trying to sooth her. "You don't have to decide right now if you don't want to." He said. "I won't tell the others." He ran his clawed fingers through her hair. "Come on, I'll take you to your room."

The lord lifted her up without warning. He placed the sword back in it's rightful spot before he began carrying her to her room. She didn't even complain, instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and sniffled, burying her face into the crook of his shoulder.

She couldn't deny how good it felt being in his arms. His warm spicy scent filled her and the sad thoughts of home drifted away.

.-

Lion-O woke up with a sweet scent around him. He didn't want to open his eyes. He wanted to savor the scent. Wanted to go back to sleep…

Then he remembered what happened last night, and what the scent was. Slowly he pried open his heavy lids, and was greeted with a pleasant gift: Kagome sleeping on his chest, his arm around her shoulders.

Her peaceful resting expression was much better then the sad and worried look she had last night. The urge to touch her was almost too strong. To trail his claws down her arm and side. He did his best to fight it, along with the rumble of a pleased growl. His nose twitched. He turned his head enough to place it to her hair and inhale the aroma. By Thundera she smell good. He pulled her closer to his side and he released a contented sigh. She felt good too. This seemed right. Perfect, even.

But what did it mean? What did any of it mean? He just wanted to protect her, right? Thats why he was here in the first place, sleeping in her bed. She begged him to stay with her. Said she missed her home and family. That he 'smelt good' and it would 'help me sleep.' He didn't mean to fall asleep as well… but he had to admit, that it felt nice to have her sleeping face be the first thing he sees when he wakes up.

He allowed his thoughts to process in his skull for a few minutes, but it only left him confused. Lion-O wanted to keep her safe, but it was more then that. He wanted her in his arms, with him like this all the time. By his side.

The lord released a tired sigh, unsure. Is this normal, or is there something wrong with him? He can't stop thinking about her. It even distracted him during training and patrols. He asked snarf, but all he got was a strange conversation about candy.

He sighed again. Maybe he should ask Tygra. He would know what was wrong with him, and figure out what to do.

For now, the biggest problem he has to solve is how was he going to sneak out without waking her up…

.-

Kagome woke up feeling refreshed and one hundred percent better. Lion-O's heated scent still lingered from last night, and it made her lazy. She wanted to stay in the bed and sleep, but she knew she shouldn't. She had to go to class. Regrettably she left her bed and Lion-O's relaxing scent behind, and got ready.

The newly transformed feline stood outside Tygra's lab, staring at the door for several minutes. She could hear him moving around, picking up the glass beakers and pouring samples. What courage she gathered while getting dressed had vanished, leaving an empty shell of uncertainty.

What if he still wanted space? What if he wanted to be left alone today too? The thought of going in there and facing him didn't sit well with her, leaving her stomach in knots. She didn't even have the strength to go in there, only to have him tell her to leave again. What would be the point? She would be wasting time.

Then again, standing in front of his door wastes more time…

Footsteps approaching. Her ears and nose twitched. Spicy. A smile was on her face before the lord even walked around the corner. "Good morning." He froze in his tracks. Lion-O was more then a little surprised to see her. Seeing that he was at a loss for words, she greeted again. "Good morning."

His eyes shifted downward for a second, then he cleared his throat. "Good morning."

"Why Lion-O here?" She asked.

"I was going to go pick up a few supplies on Hook Mountain with Panthro and the kittens." He said. "I wanted to ask Tygra something before I left…" He trailed off, before mumbling. "I should have known you would be here." He cleared his throat for the second time. "But I guess my question could wait." He decided. They stared at one another for several second before he spoke again. "Would you like to join us?" He paused. "Wait, you have class with Tygra don't you?"

She lied. "No." She spoke up almost too quickly. "I go." She needed to get out of this place.

He chuckled at her energetic response. "Alright then, lets not keep them waiting." He turned and started walking away. She glanced over her shoulder, at the cold metal door that led to the lab.

When she comes back, she will talk with him. With that in mind, she nodded, then went after the young lord, a skip in her step.

.-

Kagome was in the ThunderTank, sitting with the kittens. Lion-O was up front with Panthro, and they kept the tank's armor closed the whole drive, so she couldn't see where they were going.

"What Hook Mountain like?" She asked Wilykit and Wilykat.

Kat opened his mouth to answer, but then Kit poked him in the side. "It's a surprise." She said.

Kagome frowned. The last surprise they gave her, she ended up lost in the woods and captured by the mutants. As if sensing her displeasure and reading her thoughts, Kat spoke out. "You will like it."

The sincere look on his face had her believing him. She nodded. "Okay."

The ride was rough, and she was at a slant the whole time during the ride as the tank traveled upwards. When it came to a stop, she was itching to get out and stretch her legs. But when the armor bloomed open, cold air rushed in, taking away her breath. "Cold!" The kittens laughed. "Not funny."

She stood up. Snow was everywhere. The chilled air shocked her at first, but she didn't feel as cold as she should have. She rubbed her arms, the fine fur bristled over her claws. She stared at the snow again, and excitement propelled her forward. She leaped out of the tank. When she landed, she instantly sank to her hips and she cried out in surprise.

This time, everyone was laughing at her. She pouted at them over her shoulder. "Not funny." She repeated.

"Good thing we are so small Kat." Kit giggled.

Kat agreed. "Yeah, the snow doesn't do that to us."

To prove their point the kittens jumped next. The snow swallowed them, leaving only their heads visible on either side of her. This time it was her turn to laugh. The sour looks on their faces only made her laugh harder. Reaching into the snow, she lifted the twins up one at a time, and they hopped back into the tank.

Panthro spoke up. "It was worth the extra drive just to see that." He did it on purpose? The sneaky cat!

After she got back into the tank, they continued to their real destination. This time Panthro left the tank open, since they were not going very far. A ice castle was in the distance, and Kagome wondered who would live in such a place.

This time when the tank stopped, she checked before jumping. The snow was packed thicker, making it easy to walk. When they all got out, a burly man greeted them. He wore thick coats with fur, and had a large cat companion.

Their names were Snowman and Snowmeow. While Lion-O talked with the man, she connected with the white feline. He reminded her so much of Kirara. She petted Snowmeow, enjoying his thick fur beneath her claws. The cat licked her face and she laughed.

But her friendly meeting was cut short when the kittens ran up to her. "Come on Kagome!" Kat said.

"Yeah~" Kit whined.

Both of them grabbed each of her hands. "Let's go play."

Lion-O grumbled. "Is that why you wanted to come?"

They both grinned as they dragged her away. "Of course!"

"Eight. Nine. TEN!" She lowered her hands and scanned the snow. "Kit~ Kat~" She purred out their names as she creeped through the snow. There was now where for them to hide, yet they had vanished.

Using her nose, she followed their fading scent. Around a boulder that was almost completely covered in snow. She jumped out with a shout. "Found you!" Empty. Where were they— An avalanche of snow fell on her, covering her up to her chest. Stunned, she stood there blinking for several seconds. Laughter. She looked up. The kittens were on top of the rock, which no longer had the thick layer of snow on top of it. They were still laughing.

With a smirk she gathered snow into her claws. Splat! It smacked Kit in the face and she fell off the rock, landing in the snow below with a plop. Kat didn't even bother to help his sister, and instead pointed and laughed at her. Smack! Down went Kat, landing beside his sister with an identical imprint in the snow.

Kagome laughed, holding her sides and unable to control it—

"Snow fight!" Cold chilled her as multiple projectiles flew towards her and she squeaked out in surprise. When the attack was finished, all that remained were the children's laughter.

Oh, it's on now…

.-

Lion-O was helping load the ThunderTank with a few previsions and items that Snowman wished to give them. Some were valuable parts that Panthro needed to build his next vehicle, while the rest will most likely be given to Tygra to use. The whole time, he could hear the singsong laughter of the kittens and Kagome playing.

"Panthro?" Lion-O caught the feline's attention. The strong cat hummed in reply, so he continued. "I already asked Snarf, but all he kept going on about was candy and it didn't make much sense to me."

"Yeah, what is it?"

Lion-O picked up another box, before reaching it up to Panthro. "Well, I'm not really sure what it is."

Panthro laid the box down in the tank. "Just spit it out already Lion-O." He chuckled. "It can't be all that bad."

"It's Kagome." He said. "I can't get her out of my mind." He scratched his head. "It might be because I promised to protect her, but I don't know."

"Oh boy." Panthro rubbed his face with a groan. "Kagome was asking about mates yesterday and now you too?" Lion-O blinked. Mates? The feline grumbled. "Kids these days." The grey cat sighed. "I'm not good with this stuff."

"If you know, please tell me."

He leaned against the tank's side, looking down at him. "It's trouble." He huffed. "Thats what it is." After swaying his head back and forth, deciding, Panthro finally gave in. "It's like this, Lion-O." He pointed at him. "A man is like a computer." He started. "No, no." He changed his mind. "A man is like a gearbox, while a woman is like the microchip that runs the processor and enables the drive mode." Huh? That makes less sense then what Snarf told him. Panthro must have noticed his confusion. "You get what I'm saying, Lion-O?"

"Umm… not really." Lion-O hummed. "But can you tell me how to fix it?"

Panthro chuckled. "That, my friend, is one thing I can't fix."

The young cat crossed his arms and stared down at the snow with a frown. "Then what do I do?" He asked, seriously concerned.

Panthro huffed through his nose in aspiration. Reaching down into the tank, the cat pulled out a wrench. "This wrench is those feelings and thoughts you are having, right?" Lion-O nodded. "It tightens the gears together." He explained. "You got to grip it hard and not let go, because that damn thing slips out of my hands so many times and falls on the floor…" The cat began to rant.

"So then what?" He still didn't quite get all of this metaphor stuff they were throwing at him. "Do I not worry about it?"

"Does it bother you?" He asked.

Lion-O frowned. "Not really."

"Do you not want them there?"

"Well… I don't know."

"Do you like it?"

Lion-O scratched his head. "Maybe."

"Then what is there to fix?" He asked. "Enjoy these feelings for now, and try to figure it out later. By then you might feel different about it, or maybe those feelings will grow stronger."

"What do I do about it when that happens?"

"What?"

"If they are stronger." Lion-O asked.

"Now that would be up to you." He said, pointing the wrench at him. "There are some things in life that you have to figure out on your own."

He still wasn't completely satisfied with that answer. "I guess." But he agreed anyway.

"Good." Panthro nodded. "Now help me finish loading these boxes."

Maybe it would have been best if he asked Tygra—

"ATTACK!"

Lion-O was assaulted by something cold. He was hit multiple times. They didn't have any defense for the sudden attack, other then to shield their faces with their arms. Lion-O swiftly got cover within the tank, ducking beside Panthro as the attack continued. The projectiles hit the side of the tank with heavy 'thunks'.

"By Thundera's suns! What is going on?" Panthro asked. "Mutants?"

The lord glanced over his body quickly for injuries. Instead of seeing wounds, he was covered in snow. "I don't think so." The attack finally stopped, and the only sound that was heard was laughter. "Kit, Kat." With a sigh Lion-O stood up, followed by Panthro. "Kagome?" He was more then a little surprised to see the black feline along with the kittens. He chuckled, wiping off the left over snow that clung to his fur.

Panthro on the other hand— "Blasted kittens!" — wasn't as happy about the prank. "What if you dented the tank—" A snowball smacked him in the face with a loud splat.

The trio was laughing so hard, they were rolling in the snow, unable to control themselves. Then, a loud noise snapped them out of their laughter. They looked up just as Panthro dump a mound of snow onto them, using the ThunderTank. The grey cat chuckled, having the last laugh.

.-

It was finally time to leave the snow covered mountain. Kagome jumped into the tank, stealing the passenger seat. Her eyes stared at all of the controls. She turned to Panthro with a huge smile. "I drive?"

"Wa- No, you will not drive." The grey cat mumbled beneath his breath as he placed his hand upon the accelerator. "Think I'm going to let her touch the tank… She's crazy."

Kagome pouted as Panthro drove them safely off of the snow covered mountain. "I drive now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"N—"

"Come on Panthro." Lion-O stood up and rested his forearms against the tank, looking down at them from the back. "What could it hurt?"

Taking a deep breath, Panthro slowly lowered the accelerator. "I'm going to regret this…"

Kagome released a squeal. "What this?" She pressed a button. "What this?" Then another. "What that?" Then pulled a lever. Within seconds she had pushed every button within her reach—

"Dang blasted—! Stop that!" Panthro pushed all of the buttons, and set all of the leavers back into place. "Are you trying to kill us?" He grumbled.

She released a joyous laugh before placing her hand over the accelerator. "YAY!" She shoved it into maximum speed. The tank jerked and roared forwards. Everyone was pulled back from the powerful force. Kagome and Panthro crushed into their seats, while Lion-O and the kittens, along with all of the boxes they got were slammed to the rear of the tank. Her whole body bounced when they hit tree after tree, but the huge beast ripped them out of their roots, and bulldozed it's way across the forest like it was nothing. The three cats in the back was tossed around like dice with each tree they hurdled over. "Wee!" Kagome on the other hand, was ecstatic.

The ThunderTank launched out of the forest and over the ravine, landing in front of Cat's Lair with a powerful cry of victory. Slowly the tank blossomed open. Kagome jumped out with an excited cheer. "That fun!"

Panthro groaned, half of his body hanging off of the tank, his lower half stayed inside. Lion-O was leaned over the side of the tank, arms dangling, then his weight took over and he completely fell out with a heavy thump. The kittens followed suit, climbing over the side and releasing pitiful moans and groans as they hit the ground with dead weight. Their fur was pale, and Kit's face looked almost green— The female kitten jumped to her feet and ran over to the edge of the cliff.

"You don't look good." Kagome noticed. "You need go see Ro-bears?" They had medicine. "I drive you there!"

"NO!" All four cats shouted at the same time.

.-

Tygra was in his lab, running several tests. He picked up a vial, and pored the liquid into another sample. Swirling it around, he waited for it to change color. When it didn't after several turns, he paused. He picked up the vial again— He growled, placing both glasses onto the counter top in frustration.

It was the wrong sample. He would have to redo the entire experiment over again. A whole evening wasted.

Sighing, he placed his face into his hands. "What is wrong with me?" He knew the answer, but he dare not speak it out loud: Kagome.

She has been on his mind ever since she left him. The sad expression on her face was drilled into his brain and wouldn't release its hold on him. He pushed away the guilt, knowing it was for the best. She deserved better. She deserved the best. She deserved—

"Tygra?" The metal door opened, and Lion-O walked inside.

He cleared his throat and turned to face the young cat. "Yes, Lion-O?"

"What is a mate?"

"Oh boy." With a groan he placed his hand back onto his face. "Did Cheetara put you up to this?"

"No." Lion-O crossed his bulging muscles over his chest. "Panthro mentioned it. He said that Kagome asked about it. I didn't know what it was, so I thought it would be best to ask you instead." He hummed. "Why? Is something wrong?"

First Kagome, now the lord of the ThunderCats himself. "I am surrounded by kittens." The tiger mumbled beneath his breath.

Tygra couldn't blame Lion-O. The lord was too young when they escaped from Thundera. He obviously hasn't needed 'the talk' back then, but now he was a grown man. Guess he is the one who is going to give it to him, oddly enough.

So the striped cat started to explain. "When you feel a connection with someone, both in a physical and instinctual sense, you show your attraction to the other person." Tygra reached up to his neck, but stopped himself. He quickly brushed away the memories, and the slight pain they caused. "If they feel the same, they will return your affection. Once that has happened you will mark one another, and stay together." He meshed his fingers together. "She will rule the ThunderCats by your side, and she will have your kittens, to carry on the bloodline." It didn't hurt him nearly as bad as he thought it would. In fact, he felt rather numb at the moment. Good.

Lion-O on the other hand, looked like he swallowed something unforgiving. A tinge of red peaked into his cheeks. "K-kittens?" Tygra was about to ask him if he was alright, when the lord cleared his throat. "W-what." He coughed again. "How do you know?"

"What?"

"You know…?"

Tygra crossed his arms over his chest. "No, I don't."

"How do you know?" He continued to repeat the same words, hoping he didn't have to speak the words out loud.

"I can't read your mind Lion-O."

Lion-O scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "How do I know if she is the right one?"

Tygra clicked his tongue, heat rising from his back and up his neck. His fur bristled. He dreaded this. He hated this. But he knew it was inevitable. "It's as simple as knowing if you truly care for her or not." He paused as a bad taste came into his mouth. "Why do you ask?" He tried to seem naturally curious. "Is there…" Tygra could barely get the words out. He took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Is there someone that comes to mind?"

The lord stared at the ground in thought. "I don't know."

Tygra smiled sadly. "It's alright. You are still young and have plenty of time to think about it." Now that he distanced himself from Kagome, Lion-O shouldn't have anything preventing him from pursuing her. He had thought long and hard about this, and decided it was for the best, but he still felt empty. It was a tough decision, but it had to be done.

Lion-O and Kagome deserved each other. He was the strongest and best choice, and Kagome was young and fertile. She will give him many kittens, and the bloodline will be safe for now, along with the ThunderCat's future.

That is what he kept telling himself over and over again. Justifying himself with logic was the only way he could get over the painful decision he brought upon himself.

If only they were back on Thundera, things would be different— He shook his head. No. He shouldn't even think about it. It will only hurt more if he did.

.-

After Kagome's fun excursion on hook mountain she went on a run, taking in the sights. The forests, mountains, and all the different animals and terrain. It was all so strange yet exciting. She spent most of the evening wondering around and exploring. She even went back to the silent forest for a while.

She didn't run into anything she couldn't handle— A couple of crab-men by the beach— She didn't find anything really troublesome until she was on her way back to the lair.

That is when she heard it— A fearful screech. Her ears twisted towards the sound— It happened again, and she was already running in the direction.

She burst through the bushes and into an open field. Her eyes widened. The one mythical creature any and all girls dream about— "A unicorn!" The animal cried again. The poor creature was ensnared in a tree— No, a monster. A monster tree. It had it's thick branches curled around the white stallion's body. The plant had a face— an ugly one. An evil smile was carved in its bark, pleased. The damned thing was even laughing!

Kagome rushed the monster tree. She lunged at it, claws extended. Each swipe she landed, another branch came out to take its place. Her attacks were swift, putting Meowth's fury swipes to shame. The tree was getting mad, and soon moved its branches to her instead. She dodged the limbs, but her grace was severely lacking. A few more slashes and the unicorn was free.

"Go!" She shouted at it. The stallion kicked, then with a cry it jumped out of the tree's reach.

Furious, the tree was no longer laughing, and growled in anger. Kagome weaved in and out, slashing at any branch that tried to wrap around her. It was so fast! She rolled out of the way, only to jerk to a stop. The one thing that Kagome didn't think about, her tail— It had snatched her tail. "Roawr!" She cried out in pain as the tree yanked her back. She dug her claws into the dirt as it pulled her in. Tears weld up in her eyes from the pain of her sensitive tail being treated so rough.

Her claws left deep gashes in the ground. Within its reach again, another branch wrapped around her waist. Her legs. Arms. Tough bark scrapped against her fur, making her hiss. A thick branch wrapped around her neck. She opened her mouth to scream, yet no air escaped. Her lungs were already burning. Dots spotted her vision. Her head was swimming. Would this truly be how she would go? Eaten by a stupid tree.

As she blacked out, she could hear the unicorn's fearful cries…

"Kagome!" That didn't sound like a unicorn… "Kagome! Hold on!" Desperate fighting. Powerful slashes. "Let her go, you evil tree!" An enraged roar. A pained wail. Her body was free, but she fell limply onto the ground, unmoving. "Kagome!"

.-

Lion-O carried the female, laying her down upon the grass just outside of the tree's grasp. He looked down at her in panic, both of his hands on either side of her face. "Shes not breathing." He didn't know what to do. "Kagome?" By thunder, wake up. He scanned her body, his mind swarming with fear. "Do something, Lion-O! Shes going to die!" He gave himself a pep talk, growling in frustration. What do you do when someone isn't breathing? He tried to recall something, but it was very old memories from when he was a cub. "I hope this works…" He tilted her chin up, and lowered his face close to hers. His cheeks turned pink. "I don't even care if you wake up and slap me, as long as you wake up."

He opened her mouth, and pressed his lips to hers, forcing air into her. Her chest rose. He repeated it. Again and again, yet nothing happened. Slowly he raised up, a lost and painful expression on his face.

She wasn't breathing. She wasn't moving. She wasn't waking up. No. He shook his head. No. He placed his clawed hand over his forehead as he snarled in rage.

The unicorn walked up to them with a sad look as well. It lowered it's head, placing the tip of it's horn over her chest. A glow— Kagome snapped her eyes open, inhaling sharply in surprise.

"Kagome!"

She coughed several times uncontrollably. "Lion…?" Her voice was raspy, staring at him in a daze. Her eyes didn't focus, instead they closed again, and she became unresponsive.

"Kagome?" The lord almost panicked, but he calmed down when he saw her chest rising and falling. He looked up at the unicorn. "Thank you." If it wasn't for it then she— He didn't want to think about it.

He carefully picked up his precious package and rushed back to the lair.

.-

"Tygra!" A urgent shout came from the hallway. Tygra paused in his mixing and turned towards the door as it opened up. "Tygra!" Lion-O rushed in with Kagome in his arms.

Tygra tried to keep his voice calm. "What happened?"

"She wasn't breathing—" Using his arm Tygra swiped away everything that was on the counter top. The paperwork and glass fell onto the floor with a loud clatter. "She was caught by the tree." Without needing instruction Lion-O placed Kagome onto it carefully. "I saved her but…"

Tygra placed his ear to the female's chest. Everything was quiet, so very quiet— The crinkling of her lungs expanding, and a heartbeat. Slowly Tygra raised up with a sigh. "She is breathing." He told Lion-O. By Thundera's great seas, don't scare him like that.

"Yes, but she wasn't." He tried to explain. "I did my best—" Lion-O's cheeks turned red. "But she still wouldn't breathe. It was the unicorn. It did something and she started breathing again." The lion shook his head. "She woke up, but only for a second and passed back out."

Tygra looked from Lion-O then back to Kagome. "I see." He searched around his cabinets, humming when he found what he needed. Opening one of her eyes, he shined a light in front of it several times. "What caused her breathing to stop?" He focused on her eyes, watching it react to the light, before lowering her eyelid again.

"The branches were everywhere, and one was around her neck."

The tiger went back to his cabinets and pulled out a small bottle with a cork in it. He pulled out the cork and placed it beneath her nose. After waving it back and forth for a few seconds, her eyes fluttered open.

Kagome groaned. "What smell?"

Tygra chuckled at that, a ghost of a smile upon his lips. "How are you feeling?" He removed the bottle and Lion-O helped her to sit up.

"I…" She swallowed hard, flinching at her own raw voice. "What happened?"

"A tree monster had you in its evil branches." Lion-O spoke up.

Tygra ever so gently touched her neck. "How's your throat?"

"Hurt." She flinched and pulled away from his touch.

His eyebrows furrowed at her reaction. "Its not damaged but it might bruise, and it affected your voice a little, but it should recover with a good nights rest." He reached out to her legs next. "How is your limbs, pain—"

She smacked his hand away before he could touch them. His eyes widened. "Don't touch me." Her voice was stern and beyond the rawness there was a twinge of sadness beneath it. "I'm fine. No massage."

Tygra stood there in a stupor. His face held pure shock, and when he dared to glance at her, he flinched. Her blue eyes were glossed over with unshed tears.

Lion-O's deep voice sliced through the silence. "I'll take her to her room." Without even asking for permission, the lord picked her up from the counter, holding her carefully in his arms. Unlike Tygra's rejection, she accepted Lion-O's touch and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you Tygra."

The tiger opened his mouth. "I…" But no words came out.

Both of the young cats stared at him for a few more seconds, then Lion-O walked away without saying anything else, leaving Tygra alone once again. The sound of the door closing snapped him out of his daze, but Kagome's voice and response kept lingering in his thoughts.

With a resounding roar, Tygra smacked his palms on the surface counter in frustration. "Isn't this what I wanted?" His teeth clinched, and he shook his head. He stared at his hand. It wasn't physically wounded, but…

He placed it over his chest with a painful growl. It hurt…

.-

Kagome was being carried to her room. She didn't say anything, her thoughts too much of a jumbled mess. Her body was aching again, and her throat was sore. Tygra's hurt expression haunted her. Why did he look at her like that? He was the one who didn't want her around. Didn't want to touch her anymore. She sighed, feeling— Feeling— She wasn't sure how she was feeling. Mostly confused.

Lion-O's deep voice caused her to jump. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't seem fine." His concern was rather touching.

"I hate me." She admitted. "Weak. Always trouble." She nibbled on her lower lip. "Always saved." Even as a demon, she still ends up being saved every time she turned around. Why couldn't she be stronger?

"You need to be more careful."

"I need teaching."

"Tygra's teaching you."

She shook her head. "Fight teaching."

"I guess." He shifted her in his arms. "You should ask Tygra to—"

"No." She snapped, not meaning to sound so harsh. "Not Tygra." Noticing he was staring down at her, she looked away. "Tygra busy."

"Then how about Panthro? He is skilled in every fighting style—"

"Lion-O teach?"

He faltered a little, taken back. "Me?"

"Lion-O leader. Strong. Teach me be strong too."

A dash of color flushed into his cheeks. "But Panthro would be—"

She shook her head. "Lion-O teach."

He chuckled. "Okay, okay. I'll give you some lessons."

She all but squealed in delight. "Thank you!" She kissed his cheek, barely a ghost of a touch.

The lord became a mess, fumbling with his words and almost tripping. It was rather adorable, and a pleased purr vibrated her chest.

Tomorrow Lion-O was going to teach her how to fight! She smiled, kicking her legs a little in excitement.

.-

Next morning Kagome got up bright and early to train with the lord of the ThunderCats. They were going to work on her hand-to-hand. She didn't have a weapon, and it was the best place to start.

Lion-O stood a few feet in front of her. "Okay, I'm going to test and see what you know, alright?"

He crouched down and she copied him. "Okay."

Lion-O charged her. She moved from pure instinct and grabbed his arm. Using his weight she tossed him over her shoulder and he landed on his back with a grunt. "Where did you learn that?"

Sango. "Old friend."

He got back to his feet with a smile. "Anymore tricks?"

"Little." She told him. "Don't work when…" She rolled the name around in her mind, trying to think of the right word. "Trapped."

Lion-O sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Yeah, the mutants catch you off guard a lot." He placed his hand to his chin in thought. "Which is weird because your senses are very strong."

"I not use ears a lot." She tapped her nose with her clawed finger. "New home. New body."

The male looked confused at first. "I guess you didn't have to be so alert when you were home, but out here it's different." He said. "Maybe we should start with the basics? Train your senses better."

She tilted her head. "How?"

"Don't worry, I have an idea." He smiled. "But it means we might have to change our training plans."

.-

Lion-O's training was cut short. It didn't upset her too much though, and she helped Snarf around the house. He was going to make dinner, so he asked her to go to the Berbil village and grab a basket of fruit.

Kagome went without trouble. She enjoyed the Berbils. She spent an hour or so playing with the children, before grabbing the fruit she needed and heading back to the lair.

Leaves rustling— A blur. Heavy weight smacked into her and she dropped the basket. She rolled onto the ground several times, before finally ending up on her back, her eyes wide.

Her attacker chuckled, laughing as he stared down at her. "You already lost your concentration. You will have to try harder then that." Lion-O's smug look was placed above her.

She frowned. "Lion-O no fair. Start new training tomorrow."

"The mutants won't be fair either." He said seriously. "I thought this would be a good way to catch you off guard." He tapped her on the forehead. "And it did." He then got off of her, helping her to her feet. "Try and focus your senses more. I will continue to test you when you least expect it."

Well, that sounded wonderful… But she asked for it. She can't be mad about it now.

.-

Lion-O was walking through the forest, going to the river. He heard her before she attacked, and he took a step back. Kagome landed on the ground in front of his feet and he shook his head. "Impatient?" He asked, chuckling. "I can still see the lair." He looked over his shoulder, able to make the faint outline of the Cat's Lair between the tree leaves.

Kagome sat upon her hunches, looking up at him with a pout. "Lion-O not think attack so soon."

He crossed his arms over his chest. "You have to sense when I let my guard down." He tried to instruct her. "We have a while until I reach the river to try a few more times." He told her. "Keep trying."

She nodded, then ran into the bushes, out of sight. The cat shook his head and continued forward. Kagome tried three more times to ambush him, yet every time she was met with air, unable to catch him.

Lion-O reached the river, and scooped up a small bottle. His senses have been on high alert, not running into Kagome for a while. As he watched the water fill up the bottle, his ears picked up every sound that was around him. She has been staying back for a while now. If she doesn't try to attack him now, she will before he reaches the lair—

A hand shot out of the water, grasping his wrist tightly. He barely got out a cry before he was pulled into the cold liquid with a splash. When he surfaced, Kagome was grinning ear to ear, purring loudly in victory. Lion-O chuckled. That was clever.

With a smile he sent a huge splash of water towards her. The female was sputtering in surprise, and he laughed, sending her another wave. She started retaliating and sent several waves of her own. After a few minutes of playing around, the two cats got out of the water.

"Good job Kagome." He patted her on the back in praise. "From now on, anytime of the day is open for training. No more planned routes. Attack me whenever you want." He held up a finger. "But I will also be able to attack you as well, so stay alert."

"Like Lion-O did before?"

He nodded. "Yes, just like I did before."

She hummed, smiling. "Okay!"

Well, this should make his days more interesting, thats for sure. "Race you back to the lair?" The cat took off running without hearing her reply first.

"No fair!" Kagome cried out behind him, not liking the head start he gave himself. Lion-O laughed loudly into the air.

.-

Since she got attacked by the evil tree, Kagome has ignored Tygra, and stopped taking his classes. She spent her time learning the area surrounding the lair, and attacking Lion-O whenever she could. It kept her mind off the tiger. She wasn't sure why she was so angry with him, but the way he pushed her away without explanation didn't sit well with her. Whenever she saw him, her stomach went into knots. It made eating dinner difficult, since it was a pack event— Was it a pack? Or is a pack what you called dogs and wolves? What do You call a group a cats? A clan?

She wasn't really sure.

Kagome paused in her walk, feeling eyes upon her. Lion-O would have to do better then that. The wind shifted, bring in a strange sent. Her eyes widened, and the creature lunged out of the bushes. When it collided with her, she rolled. Landing on her back, she launched the beast off of her with her feet. Instinct kicked in and she jumped onto all fours, arching her back and hissing in warning.

Her attacker howled in laughter. "That was even better then I thought it would be." He continued to laugh at her, scratching the back of his head with his back foot.

"Ramum!" She stood on two feet again and stared down at him. "Don't' scare me like that!"

He gave a pleased snort, before standing on two legs as well. "Couldn't help it. Not my fault you are such a scaredy cat."

"Damn dog." She gave him a smack upon his arm and he chuckled. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hunting. What else?" He shrugged. "You?"

"Thinking."

The dog snorted in disbelief. "That's a surprise."

"How big of an ass are you?" She growled, crossing her arms.

"Cats can't take a joke." He shook his body, ridding himself of dirt. Once he was done, he plopped down beneath a tree. He patted the grass beside him and she sat down. "What were you thinking about?"

"The trial period that the ThunderCats gave me ends tomorrow," she said.

"And?" He seemed unimpressed, pulling out a pretty fruit from the pouch that was tied around his shorts.

"They will probably ask me to stay with them. I'll be a ThunderCat for real after that."

He took a huge bite from the fruit, the juices leaked from the wound, and dribbled down his mouth and jaw. "And you don't want to be?"

"I don't really know." She said truthfully. "I don't want to be a burden, but my home is gone, and I don't have anywhere else to go." She shrugged. "They treated me like family and I don't really have anything bad to say about them."

"Then stay." He spit a few chunks of food as he talked.

Kagome shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Dogs are so simple about things, it's almost unreal."

"If you like being there, then stay. If not, then leave. Cats just make things too complicated." He argued, taking another bite of his fruit.

"What are you eating?" She asked. "I thought dogs were carnivores?"

"You cats eat Berbil fruit." He reminded her. "I eat them whenever I have a hard time finding prey," he said. "Lately I have been leaving my mountain more and more. The food there is becoming scarce." He frowned. "This fruit has saved me through many harsh times."

"Then why bother to hunt?" She asked. The ThunderCats don't even try since they have Berbil fruit to eat.

"Staying inside and eating plants is not natural for creatures like us," he said. "We have to get out and hunt, or we might go insane." He paused. "Well, I don't know about you, but I know I would."

Kagome nodded. "That makes sense."

He reached into his pouch and pulled out another fruit. "Would you like to try one?"

"Thank you." She took the offer with a smile.

It wasn't heavy, and fit neatly into the palm of her hand. She placed it to her nose, and a sweet fragrance assaulted her, making her mouth water. Not wasting time, she bit into it. Juice squirted everywhere, blasting her nose with its aroma and attacking her mouth with the most euphoric nectar she ever had. So sweet and delicious, she moaned in pleasure.

Within a few bites the fruit was gone and she was purring in delight. "That was wonderful!"

The wolf laughed at her response. "You can have the rest then, since you enjoyed it so much." He untied his pouch and handed it to her.

"I couldn't—"

He placed the whole bag onto her lap. "I have trees filled with them on my mountain. It isn't a big deal."

"Well…" She opened the pouch and peeked inside of it. There were ten or more sweet fruits laying there, waiting for her to eat them. "If you say it's okay." She didn't put up much of a fight. They were truly delicious.

"I'll see you around then, kitty-cat." His entire paw covered the top of her head as he gave it a playful shuffle, messing up her hair. She hissed and he laughed. "Don't get into too much trouble."

He didn't even wait for her to say goodbye, before the wolf took off on all fours in a grey blur, off to find his next meal. "Happy hunting…" She waved, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear or see her, but she did it anyway.

She looked inside the pouch again, and squealed, licking her lips. Yummy!

.-

A pride. That is what a group of cats are called: A pride.

As Kagome paced back and forth in front of the council room, she didn't feel very proud at the moment. She was scared. The ThunderCats were all gathered, discussing the verdict of her trial period, and she was sweating bullets.

What if they rejected her? What if they didn't want her in their group? The only things she could think of were all negative. When the door opened, she nearly jumped out of her clothes.

"You can come in now, Kagome." Tygra's voice spoke up. She shivered at the sound of it, rubbing her arm as she walked in, trying to sooth the bumps that raised up beneath her fur.

Everyone was gathered in a semi-circle, all facing her. Her eyes fell onto stripes, and her teeth met her lower lip nervously. "Your week here has been rather exciting, hasn't it?" She shifted her eyes away from the tiger, and focused them onto Lion-O, who stood before her.

"Yes." His warm scent surrounded her, and it wasn't difficult to distract herself from Tygra and onto Lion-O's rock hard chest. Slowly she looked up.

"Everyone here has come to an unanimous decision." The lion smiled down at her. A small twinkle was in the corner of his eye, and for an instant, she questioned if he noticed she was staring at his chest— He pulled out a familiar disk, holding it out to her. "Kagome, will you agree to stay and promise to obey the laws of Thundera, and our code of: Justice, truth, honor, and loyalty?"

Her hand went over her parted lips in surprise. She stared at the disk, then her eyes slowly scanned the group. Everyone was smiling, and nodding their heads, even Tygra. "Yes."

With a huge smile Lion-O placed the disk onto the empty space on her clothes, the same spot as Cheetara's. It fit perfectly. She placed her trembling hand over it, and she could almost feel it hum with power. Her chest swelled with warmth and her eyes stung, tears filled them.

"Kagome? You alright?" Lion-O asked, now blinking at her with concern. "Why are you crying?"

She gave him the biggest smile she could as tears poured down her cheeks. "Happy." She bent down and picked up snarf, who was at her feet. She hugged him tightly. "Home."

"Aw, shucks…" Snarf purred, his face turning red. "We are happy too, Kagome." His tail wrapped around her waist— Wilykit and Kat collided into her with a hug, then came the other cats. Her body was surrounded by arms and scents of all of the cats she has grown to care for over such a short period of time.

She was purring louder then she ever had before. "Family."

"Yes." Lion-O's voice was against her ear. "Welcome to the family Kagome."

Now, she felt proud.

.-

That evening there was a feast to celebrate. The Berbils joined, as well as ThunderCat's other allies. She got to meet the warrior women for the first time, the wallows, and the unicorn keepers. There were so many sights, sounds, and smells, she was having trouble focusing on anything. It was overloading her senses.

At first she was nervous. She didn't talk with many of the people, thinking they wouldn't be able to understand her, but after a few of them complimenting her English, she opened up more. She was having a good time, and stuffing her face.

She picked up one of her favorite Berbil fruits, taking a big bite. The juices slid down her throat and she paused. She looked down at the fruit again. It tasted a little off. Must have been an odd batch—

"Kagome?" She turned around, only to freeze when she noticed it was Tygra. "Would you care to dance?" He held out his clawed hand to her and she stared at it for a moment. Glancing into his eyes, she saw a worried look hidden beneath them. "Please?"

She nibbled on her lower lip, unable to say no to that. "Okay." She placed her hand into his, and he walked her out into the open area.

The music was upbeat and energetic. She looked around the area, and everyone was laughing and dancing to the beat without a set dance move in mind. She caught a glimpse of the odd image of snarf dancing, and she smiled. Moving her head back and forth, she got into the rhythm a little better and her hips followed along. She copied what Kit and Kat were doing, more or less, and just allowed herself to be free.

Her body was the conduit for the music to flow into, and it moved on its own to the beat without much control. She was smiling and laughing— Poor Tygra stood there, lost for a few seconds, staring at her as if the devil had possessed her. Which he might have.

"Can't keep up old cat?" She teased, swaying her hips and tail back and forth.

He snapped out of his daze and flared his nose. "Old?" He rolled up his imaginary sleeves. "I'll show you old." He grabbed her waist and tossed her high into the air. She cried out in surprise, but he caught her easily, giving her a twirl as he continued to hold her up. Kagome laughed when he finally sat her down onto her feet. His claws lingered upon her waist.

"Kagome." He had a serious expression. "I wanted to apologize for how I've been acting," he said. "I've been immature, and I hope you will forgive me."

She stared at him, searching his face for anything. When she got nothing but genuine guilt and worry, she smiled sweetly. "It's okay."

His body visually relaxed and he let out a breath of relief. "Thank you."

She questioned him. "Tygra?" He hummed in reply. "What you said in classroom. I didn't understand."

"About what—?"

A voice interrupted them. "Tygra." Lion-O walked up to them with a smile. "You mind if I cut in?"

Tygra looked between her and Lion-O. His striped claws squeezed her hips ever so slightly— "Of course." He smiled at the lord and backed up to give him room.

"Tygra?" She watched as the tiger's back faded among the crowd.

"Is something wrong Kagome?" Lion-O asked.

She shook her head and sighed. "No. I'm fine."

Lion-O grabbed her hand and gave her a small twirl. The scent of mint and rain was soon overpowered by warm spices.

.-

Kagome waited until the dance was over, before she looked for Tygra. His orange stripes should have gave away his position easily, but she couldn't see him. She weaved through the people, searching, but she still couldn't find him. His sent was fading too. Did he leave the party? She went towards the lair, and his scent grew stronger. He went back inside. Why?

She followed the aroma of mint and rain till it was its strongest, in his room. She hoped he would be in his laboratory, but she guessed the cat had to leave his work sometimes and relax.

Kagome continued to stand there, trying to calm herself. Why was she so nervous? It's just Tygra. Still, she couldn't bring herself to knock—

The door opened up, and Tygra stood in front of her. His hand was on the wall beside the door, to open it. He gave her a small smile. "I could smell you through the door." He teased a little. "I was wondering if you were going to stand there all night."

She shifted in her spot, looking downward. "Sorry."

He stared at her for several seconds, a unsure look in his eyes. Finally, he won whatever inner battle he was dealing with and he moved aside. With a wide sweep of his hand he motioned her inside. "Would you like to come in?"

She nodded her head, her cheeks warming up as she walked past him and into his room. The door closed behind her with a quiet 'woosh'. Kagome scanned the room quickly, noticing it was similar to the other rooms, except for the blueprints and books laying on the desk in the corner, as well as a custom bookshelf. She walked over to the desk, curious.

After a few minutes of silence, Tygra walked over to her and placed his hand over the documents, catching her attention. "Why are you here Kagome?"

"Why Tygra leave?"

He shrugged. "I saw no need to be there any longer."

She shook her head. "Dance was fun."

"You had Lion-O to dance with."

"I like dance with Tygra."

A frustrated growl rumbled in his chest. The tiger rubbed his face tiredly, then sat down upon the stool beside the desk. "Kagome, we can't do this." He whispered out, unable to look into her eyes. "I have already decided it." He said. "You need to go to Lion-O."

"Lion-O?" What does he have to do with anything? "I don't understand."

"Please, just leave. I can't take this right now—"

"No." She growled, glaring down at him. "You tell me." She pointed down at the floor. "What wrong? Why Tygra strange? Why Tygra no class? Why no massage?"

"Because, I can't be doing those things!" He stood with a growl. "It hurts too much!" He placed his hand over his chest.

Instantly she became worried. "You in pain?" She placed her hand over his chest in concern.

He sucked in a sharp breath when her hand touched him. She pulled her hand away— He grabbed her wrist, staring into her eyes with a pained expression. "It doesn't hurt." He said, but then shook his head. "I mean, it does, but not like you think."

She was confused. "I don't understand."

"I will say it as plainly as I can." He cupped her cheek in his hand, caressing it with his thumb. "Kagome, I love you."

Love? What's that? "I…" She said the only thing she knew. "I don't understand."

He released a huff through his nose. "By Thundera Kagome." He leaned in, rubbing his cheek against her neck affectionately. She gasped. Her senses went on overdrive. Mint and rain filled every breath she took, and she shuddered. Everywhere he touched, tingles ran across her skin. She was hot. She was cold. She was both and everything else in-between. Her legs became weak and she collapsed into Tygra's arms. His voice was a purr into her ear. "Now do you understand?"

Her breathing was labored as she molded against his body. What was that? She looked up at him for answers, but she only received the same mirrored image. He was seeking an answer from her, but she didn't have one. "I—" Her heart ached with confusion and uncertainty. When the words finally whispered from her lips, she was almost in tears from frustration. "No."

Tygra took a long and deep breath. "It's okay." He said with a sad smile. "I understand." He slowly released her and took a step back. "After all, it would be silly of me to expect you to accept my affections after I already rejected you once."

Her ears lowered, the ache in her chest worsening. "I'm sorry."

The tiger chuckled, and he reached up, stroking her head. "Don't be." He said. "This doesn't change anything, I promise. I'll always be here." He then added. "And so will the ThunderCats. We are family now." He tapped the disk with his claw, smiling. "But I think I'm going to rest." He stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Its been a rather exciting day and it has wore me out."

She wanted to argue. She wanted to stay with him. She wanted so many things, but she wasn't sure what to do. In the end, she decided it was best not to do anything at all. "Okay."

Kagome left Tygra's room feeling worse then when she entered. The aching in her chest persisted, and the only thing that was of any help was his strong lingering scent that followed her everywhere.

She never returned to the party, and instead went to her room and ate the fruit that Ramum gave her.

.-

Kagome woke up before the sun, unable to sleep. She went into the dinning room to get some breakfast before she went out for a run. Tygra's scent continued to fill every breath she took, and she wondered why. It should have been gone by now.

When she walked into the kitchen, the three early risers were already there, eating their breakfast as well. Cheetara, Tygra, and of course Snarf, who got up before everyone so the food would be ready for them.

They all stared at her when she walked into the room. Snarf and Cheetara gave her funny looks, then turned their gaze on Tygra. The tiger didn't speak a word and ignored their stares, yet his cheeks were a few shades darker then normal. They looked back and forth between them several times. Snarf was shocked into silence, while Cheetara was smirking to herself, then gave Kagome a teasing wink.

Kagome's steps faltered and her face flushed red. What is she doing? She glanced at Tygra. Did he say something about her? Feeling left out, Kagome reached for a Berbil fruit. She took a big bite out of it. Her nose wrinkled, but after several hard swallows she got the bland fruit down her throat. Bleh! Must be old. How were they eating this?

She gave the group one last glance, her eyes hovering over Tygra's a little longer then the others. Heading back to her room she tossed the awful fruit out of the nearest window. When she arrived in her room, she reached into her pouch. Only three left. She ate one right away, and tied the remaining two to her side for later. Now that she thought about it, why did she even bother to eat breakfast at the dinning table? This fruit was better anyway.

The feline ran out of the lair to explore the rest of the evening. Mint and rain followed her everywhere she went.

.-

Night had fallen when she returned home. Most of the cats were probably in bed. She headed towards the kitchen, hoping to get a late night snack before heading to bed. Seeing the bowl of fruit lying on the dinning table she was practically glowing in joy.

She was starving. Kagome grabbed one of the fruits from the bowl, and took a big bite. Her eyes widened. Dry. Grainy. Grabbing a napkin, she placed the half-chewed food onto the cloth. When she looked at it, she was surprised it wasn't sand laying on it.

The feline stuck out her tongue and shook her head, her appetite now gone. It was nasty. She didn't know the Berbil fruit rotted so quickly. Good thing she had those extra fruits from Ramum.

She left the half eaten fruit on the table and headed to her room.

.-

The next day Kagome skipped breakfast all together. She ran into warrior women, and they showed her different hunting tactics and even fishing. She wasn't able to catch anything, but what laughs they got from her failed attempts were worth it. They brought her to their home, which was nothing but a village of tree houses. It was a child's dream.

They fixed the fresh fish they caught, and even offered Kagome some. After one bite, she decided that it wasn't for her. It tasted awful.

She returned to the cat's lair with a bright smile and a skip in her step, having another wonderful evening. By now Tygra's scent had faded. She found herself missing it-

The ThunderCat's signal shown ahead. "Lion-O!" She took off in a sprint.

When she arrived, she stopped in her tracks, staring down at the projector. What? A loud bang— She dodged out of pure reflex. The huge net hit a tree instead.

"Mutants." She hissed out, facing the three animals with a snarl.

"Well, well. Looksss like the kitty has gotten sssmarter." Slithe said.

The three idiots came at her with everything they had. They were strong, but she was fast and agile. She charged Monkian, tackling him to the ground. Another shot as Jackalman tried to catch her in another net with his gun. She moved, and the net trapped Monkian instead. The monkey hooted in surprise and Kagome laughed.

While they were distracted, it left an opening for her to run through and make her escape, so she took it. Sharp wind— Rope wrapped around her, trapping her arms against her torso. It constricted with a powerful smack as the weighted balls smacked together— Pain. Shocking pain that surged through her. She roared, screaming her lungs out. The attack subsided, and she fell onto the ground in a weak thud. She was barely hanging on to her consciousness.

"Good work Slithe, we almost lost her." Monkian grunted.

"What did you expect?" The lizard hissed out. "Now get rid of that projector before it calls the other ThunderCats!" He ordered. "We have to get her out of here quickly, yesss?"

Darkness was taking over everything. Hands upon her body. Weightlessness— A powerful blast. Several screams.

"What do you think you are doing?" A raspy voice. The sound made her body tremble. "You better not be trying to take the girl without my permission."

"Of course not." Slithe spoke up. The rest of his hisses were fading in and out. More shots and screams. She was falling, landing on the ground hard and knocking what little consciousness she had left out of her.

.-

A sweet fragrance drifted into her nose. Her stomach growled. She flinched at the sound and slowly opened her eyes. It was dark. No, she was in a cave. A certain smell overpowered the sweetness… it almost smelled like—

"Wet dog."

A snort from the other side of the cave. "That's very rude."

Kagome sat up quickly. "Ramum!"

"Hello kitty-cat. You feeling alright?" He walked over to her with a bowl of water.

She took the bowl with a nod, glad. Her throat was parched. "I'm okay." She said. "Just hungry." To prove its point, her stomach growled again. "Do you have any fruit?"

The wolf chuckled. "Of course I do. I always have fruit." He reached his hand out to her. "Give me your pouch." She handed it to him without question. He walked into the corner and opened up the lid of a barrel. His large hand was able to pull out three at one time, and he stuffed the pouch full of the sweet treat. She was practically twitching in excitement. He handed her the pouch and she opened it up, eating two of them immediately. The wolf laughed at her impatiences.

With her face still stuffed she asked, "What happened?"

"Mutants again." He growled. "You always get kidnapped like that or are you just waiting around for the perfect time for me to save you?"

"Maybe a little of both." She joked.

"Such a clever kitty." He would have purred at that moment, if he was capable of it. "I'm sure your new family doesn't get to hear that part of you yet, huh?"

"Some, but I think they are laughing at me, not with me." She frowned a little. "I don't know enough English yet."

"It will come with time." He tried to cheer her up. "Do not get too discouraged."

"I guess you are right…" She sighed. "Hey." She perked up. "That reminds me." She never did figure out what it meant— "What is the word 'mate'?"

The wolf stared at her. "Mate?" He repeated. She nodded. "Mate."

Her eyes went wide. "M-mate!" She almost screamed out.

"Yeah, it's when two people…" He demonstrated with multiple pelvic thrusts, a huge grin upon his face so large, his tongue was hanging out.

Her face turned red. "I know what a mate is!" She screeched. Did he seriously have to show her that! "Oh god~" She buried her face in her claws, wishing she was dead. "How could I embarrass myself like that?"

Ramum chuckled. "What did you do, cat? Propose to the wrong feline without knowing?" He teased.

"No I—" She froze. "Propose?"

"Yeah, cats make things too complicated. For canines you just claim them and thats it." He waved his hand around nonchalantly. "Cats are weird." He snorted through his nose. "You mark each other with your scent first or some such nonsense." He huffed again. "I don't think my nose can handle stupid things like that." He shrugged. "I mean, what if I don't like her scent? I'm stuck with it for days!"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You know." He pointed to his cheek. "You have glands that produce large amounts of your scent on them. Cats rub each other with them to show their attraction to the other."

Oh my god.

"What does that mean?" She was breathing heavily, almost having a panic attack.

Oh my god.

"What do you mean, 'what does that mean'?"

"In human terms, what does doing that to another cat mean!" Her pitch became increasingly higher.

He scratched the back of his head and looked down in thought. "I don't know much about humans." He admitted. "But I guess it would be the same as kissing—"

"K-Kissing!" She placed her hands upon her cheeks in horror.

Oh my god!

Ramum chuckled. "Do something you didn't mean to, cat?"

"I- I" She placed her hand over her beating heart as her face turned blood red. "W-what." Memories flashed through her mind, making her more dizzy then she already was. "What does 'affection' mean?"

"Affection."

She turned to him with a panicked look. "What about 'love'?"

"Love."

"LOVE!" She wailed out in pure terror. "LOVE!"

OH MY GOD!

She ran out of the cave in a blur, not even bothering to say goodbye.

.-

Kagome ran so fast, her legs were numb when she finally reached the lair. Her feet were pumping quickly through the halls, and her heart was about to explode. She skidded across the floor as she charged into Tygra's laboratory. Lion-O and Tygra both had worried looks on their faces.

"Kagome!" Lion-O spoke. "We were about to go looking for you—"

She wrapped her arms around Tygra's neck. "I so sorry! I didn't understand!"

Tygra was stiff, his arms extended but never enclosing around her. "What's wrong?" He was unsure of what to do. "Are you alright—" She released him from the hug, sliding down his chiseled body. She rubbed her cheek against his neck, purring loudly. His legs almost gave out, and he had to steady himself, placing his palm on the counter for support. He used his other hand to cup her cheek tenderly, and looked into her eyes for answers. She leaned into the touch with a sweet smile.

A growl made them turn their attention to Lion-O, who was standing on the sidelines. "What is going on?" He crossed his bulging arms over his chest, and tension was easily visible in his jaw, clinching it tightly.

"I'm sorry Lion-O but I…" Tygra wrapped his arm around her waist, molding her body to his. "I'm not going to give up on this, not even for you." He solidified his argument by leaning down and brushing his cheek against her neck ever-so softly. Warmth spread everywhere, pooling down her body, and making her weak. Mint. She released a sigh. God, she missed it.

Another growl, this one much louder. A tight grip on her arm, pulling her free from Tygra's hold. "Is that a challenge Tygra?"

Tygra's hands balled into tight fists. "I don't want it to come to that Lion-O." His voice was deep, but calm. "But I will not bow down without a fight."

"Very well." Lion-O grazed his cheek on the other side of her neck. She shivered at the contact. Spice. Hot mixed with cold and the scents made her dizzy. She grasped Lion-O's bicep for support, and his muscled arm went around her back to keep her steady.

"Enough Lion-O." Tygra's low growl made her shutter a second time. "This is absurd." He sliced the air in front of him. "Did you even consider her feelings?"

Lion-O paused and looked down at her with a concerned expression. "I-I don't know." He seemed so unsure and worried. Unable to take his gaze she looked away, her ears lowering. "I just didn't like your scent on her like that..." Such a childish and selfish answer. "I didn't mean anything by it—" His hold on her tightened. "I mean… I don't know." He was still lost. "Kagome, do you like me?"

A rush of color stained her cheeks. "A little." Lion-O smiled and leaned down towards her neck again. Her eyes widened and she pushed against his chest. "No." He allowed her to wiggle out of his hold, and she backed up. She looked between the two cats and frowned. "I like Tygra." Mint and rain. Calm and comforting. "I like Lion-O." Spices. Strong and brave. Placing her hand over her forehead she was near tears. "I don't know." She shook her head back and forth, her lower lip trembling.

"Kagome, it's okay." Tygra stepped towards her. "Calm down." He grasped her wrist and looked directly into her eyes. "Our scents are affecting you. You can't think straight right now." Her mind was a haze. "You should rest in your room until they fade and you can think properly," he said. "Then you can make a decision." His mouth was moving. Was he saying something? He touched her cheek and she instantly melted. "You okay?" All she could do was nod her head. The tiger sighed and carefully picked her up. "I'll take you to your room." Kagome didn't argue, finding comfort in burying her nose in his neck and inhaling his scent.

Lion-O scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry Tygra, I don't know what got over me."

Tygra turned to the young lord with a frown. "Instincts are a powerful thing, but you have to be careful that you don't let them control you." He glanced down at her. "I know you didn't mean any harm, but please think more carefully about things and how your actions effect others."

Lion-O was now frowning as well. "What is going to happen now?"

Tygra sighed. "For now she needs rest." The tiger looked at the lion with a very serious expression. "You are my friend Lion-O. I already said before I didn't want to fight you, but I will if it comes to that." His hold on her tightened. "She is worth it, and I will not stand by and let you take her from me," he stated. "If you are serious about her as I am, and we can't come to agreement, then I will not hesitate to challenge you." He sighed. "But that must be the last choice. Fighting only hurts everyone in the end."

The lord's gaze fell to the ground. "I understand."

Tygra nodded. "Then let us hope it doesn't come to that." He started to walk away, but then paused and gave his last bit of advice over his shoulder. "While the scents are fading, make sure you spend the next few days thinking about how you really feel."

Lion-O nodded. "Thank you Tygra."

The tiger nodded in reply and left, carrying the small female in his arms safely back to her room.

.-

That night was terrible. She couldn't sleep, tossing and turning the whole time. Finally, sometime in the night she had passed out from exhaustion. The loud shuffling followed by several sounds of 'snarf snarf' broke through the darkness and she woke up with a groan.

Everything was blurry, but when they became clear, she saw snarf standing in her room. He had her pouch in his hand, and looking inside. Her eyes turned red and she growled out in rage. "Get away from them!" She roared in his face and snatched the bag from him.

"Ah!" He screamed in fear and jumped. "What was that for, Snarf?"

She looked inside the pouch and roared again. "Empty!" She shook the bag at him. "What you do? Eat them all?"

Snarf frowned, placing his hands upon his hips as he stood full height upon his tail. "It was already empty." He argued back. With a sweep of his paw, he motioned to all of the peelings and cores lying around in the room. "Don't blame me when you've ate all of them on your own, Snarf, snarf."

They were all gone? Her jaw clinched tightly. But she was so hungry! Her ruby eyes focused in on Snarf with a growl. "Hungry."

"First you yell at me, now you tell me to fix you some lunch?" He purred in irritation and crossed his plump arms over his chest. All of him was plump, now that she looked at him. "I saw you was still sleeping, and your room was a mess, so I wanted to clean it up." She sniffed the air, catching his scent. She licked her lips as her eyes focused in on the small animal. "But now I see it was a bad idea." Her stomach growled. The sound caught his attention. "Kagome?" He noticed her staring. "You alright? Your eyes are still red."

Her voice was a guttural growl. "Lunch."

"Umm." His fur bristled in warning, his instincts alerting him. "I-I'll um, go f-fix you s-something then." Snarf lowered himself onto his four paws. "I'll be right back!" Her prey ran out in a panic, sliding across the floor in his retreat. Her eyes narrowed. A chase! Yes! Run! A feral growl released as she pursued the little creature. "L-Lion-O! Snarf! H-Help!" She was a predator. Running upon all four with graceful leaps. Snarf was dancing upon ice with the grace of a deer, slipping upon the metal floor and hitting walls as he rounded corners. She snapped at his tail. Snarf yelped, almost in tears. "LION-O!"

Someone ran around the corner. Strong. Proud. "What is it Snarf—"

The creature climbed on him, almost knocking him down. "She's gone crazy!"

"Calm down. What are you talking about—" With a powerful roar she launched into the air, claws extended. "Whoa!" The lion barely dodged in time, his back pressed against the wall of the corridor. When she landed, she slid. Her claws dug into the metal, creating white trails in the hard material. "Kagome?" Slowly she rose up, standing upon two legs. She was hunched over, breathing hard. Her arms hung down, and her red eyes staring at the smaller animal. "What's wrong?" He took a step forward, and Snarf freaked.

"Don't go near her!"

Drool was dripping from her elongated fangs. Her claws raked across the wall beside her as she walked forward. "Lion!" Mate? Enemy?

She launched again. Lion-O threw Snarf away from him, and took the full force of the attack. His back slid across the floor, Kagome on top of him, her fangs inches from his face. She tried to bite several times, her teeth making a crisp snap when they connected. Lion-O had his arms on her shoulders, keeping her at bay.

Pain. She yelped. Blinking, she looked over her shoulder. "Snarf?" The small cat was still attached to her tail, his teeth gnawing on it. "Please stop. That hurts."

"Kagome?" The animal let go and dropped to the floor.

Kagome stood up and curled her tail to her front so she could stroke it gently. She paused, noticing Lion-O beneath her on the floor. "I— I did something bad." Her ears lowered to her skull and she shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Lion-O got to his feet and gently grasped her arms. "It's okay Kagome. You didn't cause any trouble."

Snarf gave a loud growl of objection. "Speak for yourself! She tried to eat me, Snarf!"

"I'm sorry." She nibbled on her lower lip in confusion. "I don't know what happened."

Lion-O squeezed her arms for reassurance. "It's okay Kagome." He smiled softly at her. "How about you go to your room and rest? I'll go get Tygra and we can discuss what happened."

She nodded and he walked her to her room. When the door closed, she heard it click— Her ears twitched and she turned back to the metal exit. She walked in front of it, but it did not open. She placed her hand onto the scanner, and still, it did not move. They had locked her inside. A shutter of regret washed over her and she placed her back to the door. Slowly her body slid to the floor and she whimpered, burying her face in her hands.

The looks on their faces, especially Snarfs— They were afraid of her, and she couldn't blame them. She was afraid of herself right now.

.-

Tygra walked down the hallway at a brisk pace, trying not to run, and doing his best to stay calm. Lion-O had already filled him in on what happened that morning, and the distance from his lab to Kagome's room seemed longer then ever.

"Is this because of our scents?" Lion-O asked.

"No." But he could understand why he would think that. "What you described to me is not normal. When forced to choose, she would have struggled with the scents, but nothing like that."

"Then what happened?" His body was turned completely sideways so he could look at him, this caused him to side jump most of the way down the hall.

"I don't know." He almost snapped at him. "I have to see her first to figure it out." Finally they came to her room. Tygra placed his hand over the scanner and it unlocked. They walked inside, Tygra almost stepping on a fruit peel. The first thing he noticed was the sweet aroma in the room, the second was— "Shes not here." His heart stopped.

"Impossible, I locked it—" Lion-O smacked himself in the forehead. "The window." He ran his claws through his red mane. "This is my fault."

"Don't blame yourself too harshly Lion-O, it's a mistake anyone would have overlooked. For now we have to focus on finding her as fast as possible." Tygra shook his head, then crouched down, picking up a fruit peeling. Was this what was in the pouch Snarf talked about? The one that made her snap once she found it was empty? He sniffed the fruit, scrunching up his face at the overly sweet scent. "This could be very serious." He turned to the lord with a frown. "Gather everyone and search everywhere."

.-

Her prey was beneath her, unaware. Crouching, she got into position, eyes bleeding red. Then, she pounced. She landed on the grass-eater with most of her weight, and she wondered how she didn't break it's spine on impact. It cried out in surprise, and the rest of the herd scattered in fright. It was laying on it's side, one of her hands was spread over it's snout, holding It's head down, while her other was on it's belly.

Kagome's fangs enlarged, and she bent down towards the panting and crying creature's windpipe. She hesitated. Instead she bit her lower lip, drawing blood, and the red in her eyes faded. A disappointed expression crossed her features as she stared into the creature's eyes. "I can't do it." Maybe if she had her bow— She shook her head and sat back on her hunches. She raised both of her hands at the same time, releasing it. The antelope wasted no time in jumping to it's feet and stumbling away in it's haste to escape.

She placed her hand over her face and growled— Her stomach echoed the sound, and pain stabbed her belly. Punching the ground, she left a nice dent in the dirt from the impact. She thought that if she took Ramum's advice, she would feel better. Maybe the four walls of the Cat's Lair was making her go crazy. She needed to expend her energy and hunt. She was so hungry, but she couldn't kill anything! She was a terrible predator.

Her stomach growled again. Glancing around she spotted a few berry bushes. She walked over to it and plucked a few. Without caring, she shoved all of them in her mouth at once— She gagged. With a howl she spat the nasty berries on the ground. "Sand!" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Everything tastes like sand! Again, her belly sounded its pain, and she placed her arm over it in worry. She scanned the area again, and her eye spotted a mountain peaking over the tree tops. "Ramum…" Maybe…

Still clinching her stomach to try and dull the pain, she walked towards the mountain with the last spark of hope in her eyes.

.-

She stumbled into Ramum's cave, her claws digging into her stomach so hard she almost pierced flesh. "Ramum—!" She groaned out. "Are you here?" Her vision was failing.

"Yes." His voice was different, raspy. Was he— Was he laughing? "Is there something wrong, cat?"

Leaning against the wall of the cave, she held out her hand. "Do you have anymore fruit?"

"Hehe, of course." He held out his wrapped hand, within his bony fingers was a a single ripe fruit. "I would never turn away a friend." His laughter rang in her ears louder and louder with each fruit she devoured. One. Two. Three—

She gasped, dropping her half devoured fruit and squeezed her stomach. She soon followed, falling onto her hands and knees. A loud crack tore through her body. She screamed. Bones shifted. Growing. Expanding. Fur lengthened. Her widening jaw released a shattering roar.

"Much larger then I imagined." Mumm-Ra examined the beast that stood before him, almost too big to fit in the cave. "You will do very nicely."

His rotten smile peaked out from between his bindings. Removing his hand from his red cloak, he reached it out to stroke the beast. It growled viciously and snapped at him. He pulled his hand away. "Still feral." A wave of his hand and another fruit appeared in his palm. "Would you bite the hand that feeds you, cat?" He spoke as he offered the sweet treat.

The beast stopped growling. It lowered it's snout and took a large whiff. Releasing a powerful snort, it lapped up the fruit with one lick of it's mighty tongue. After it was done eating it stared at Mumm-Ra, it's gaze just as fierce, but it's growl was gone. Mumm-Ra raised his hand again, but stopped as he was about to touch it. The beast closed the gap, placing it's snout into his palm.

"Yes." He stroked it's nose, his grin growing wider and wider. "Let's end those ThunderCats once and for all!" His laughter started soft at first, but it soon echoed throughout the whole cave, booming in confidence and darkness.

.-

The ThunderCats scattered. Snarf went to the Berbil village. Panthro took the ThunderTank to Hook Mountain. Cheetara went to the forest of silence. Kit and Kat searched the tree top kingdom. Tygra went to the mountains in the west. Lion-O ran north, to confront the mutants at Castle Plun-Darr.

He ran faster then he thought possible, and when he arrived, he skid to a stop at the destruction that laid before him. The barriers and stone walls was nothing but rubble. Holes were punched in the castle the size of large boulders. Smoke rose from the cracks and windows, filling the air with chemicals and smells. As he walked into the castle, no alarms sounded, and no shouts were heard. It was empty.

He searched the wreckage, calling Kagome's name over and over again. Nothing… Until he went into the basement, to the dungeon. That is where he found them, the mutants. They were in one of the cells.

Slithe saw him first. "Well, if it isn't the young lord himssself."

Lion-O took in the metal bars, bent and warped, as if something large and powerful had rammed into it over and over again. White claw marks scarred the hard stone around the entire prison. "What happened?"

Jackalman chuckled nervously. "We were attacked."

"By what?" He asked.

The two mutants looked at one another, but it was Monkian who spoke up. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the wall. "A beast." He didn't bother to stand. "It almost ripped my leg off." Lion-O finally noticed red, caked and matted in his white fur. Gashes ripped into his flesh. The lion flinched at the gruesome image.

To do that sort of damage, and to give the mutants a big enough fright to lock themselves in a cell just to stay away from it, then it must have been powerful— The sword of Omens gave off a sound of alarm.

Lion-O removed it from it's sheath and placed the hilt up to his eyes. "Sword of Omens, give me sight beyond sight."

Tygra was running through the forest, dodging and weaving as best he could. A huge black cat, the size of the ThunderTank or bigger was chasing him. Tygra duck just as one of it's massive claws swiped, nearly taking off his head.

Lion-O lowered the blade with a worried expression.

Slithe smirked. "Trouble?" He chuckled in amusement.

The lord turned to the mutants, asking a simple question: "This beast you speak of, what did it look like?"

The lizard hissed out in hatred. "A cat. A big black cat." Not wasting anymore time, Lion-O turned and started running out of the dungeon— "Wait!" Slithe called out. "Aren't you going to release ussss?"

Lion-O told them over his shoulder. "Maybe you should stay a little while longer… It might come back." He smiled at their heated glares and continued on his way.

.-

Tygra didn't notice the beast until it attacked. It was monstrous. How did he not see it? After the first initial dodge, it continued to claw and snap at him. It was relentless. Using his Bola whip he cloaked himself. The cat looked around in confusion and he sighed in relief—

It turned it's head and looked straight at him. He froze. Theres no way it could see him— Not once, but two perfectly aimed swipes proved him wrong. How? — It snorted through it's nose, moving Tygra's fur, and the grass around him from the force. It could smell him.

Again, Tygra was forced into maxing out his agility, narrowly missing each attack. One came so close, it sliced off several strands of his mane. The tiger was starting to pant. He hasn't had this big of an exercise in a while. Maybe he is getting too old.

With a sigh Tygra figured it would be best to do something else. Could he get the creature to cut a tree and have it fall on top of it? Maybe it can't swim? The river that holds the Black Widow Shark is nearby. What about— The beast attacked again, but this time it followed up with a sweep of it's tail. Tygra's feet slipped out from beneath him. He landed on the ground with a resounding 'woosh', as the air flew out from his lungs on impact.

He groaned, dots spotting his vision— A powerful presence hovered above him, its colossal shadow encasing his whole body in darkness. It's mouth gaping open, showing off it's pearly white fangs. Its snapped, coming a hair away from taking off his face, and he flinched. It's guttural growl vibrated the air around him, and seeped into his bones.

The creature lowered further, it's wet nose almost touching his. Another strong gust of wind as the beast simply breathed on him. It snorted, covering him in small speck of snot. Tygra was puzzled, wondering what it was doing. Why hasn't it killed him yet? A sweet scent filled his sense. Vanilla.

Tygra's jaw slacked, and his breath caught in his throat. "K-Kagome?" The beast stopped growling and moved it's head, staring at him with one large blue eye with curiosity. A cold chill traveled up his body, stopping his heart. "What happened to you?" He reached out very slowly, to touch her snout—

Lion-O burst into the clearing. "Tygra!"

Kagome roared in rage, turning on the lion. She charged him head on. "No!" Tygra called out, jumping to his feet. He ran after her but Lion-O already drew his sword. "Don't hurt her Lion-O!"

Thankfully Lion-O dodged out of the way. "What's going on Tygra?" He now stood by his side, holding the sword of Omens, still in it's dagger state.

"It's Kagome."

Lion-O stared at him in shock. "Kagome!"

Movement. Tygra pushed Lion-O out of the way, sacrificing himself— The claws froze just before it hit him. "Kagome please." Concern laced his words. "You are stronger then this." He walked up to her, his hand held up. "Fight it." Her growling faded the closer he approached. "Come back to me." His palm touched her snout, and she calmed down. Her breathing was ragged. Pain crossed over her eyes until she finally closed them. "Kagome, please." He begged her, stroking her soft fur.

Instead of a growl, purring started to rumble in the big cat. A small smile appeared on his face, and he leaned in, brushing his cheek against hers. She instantly tensed up. A growl— or maybe a meow? A mix released from her throat as the beast shuttered.

With relief, Tygra watched as the massive cat started to shrink, smaller and smaller. Her body morphing from a creature of four legs to two. When it was all finished, Kagome stood before him in all of her beautiful feline glory.

His hand was still on her cheek, so he brushed his thumb against it lovingly, staring into her blue eyes. "Kagome."

A mix of emotions, all rolling around those blue irises at once, but the most prominent was love. It made his whole body quiver at the sight of it. "Tygra—" Her words were cut off, a surprised grunt escaping her parted lips. Tygra gasped in horror. A hand protruding from Kagome's chest. A mummy hand.

Mumm-Ra laughed as he pulled his hand from her chest. "In the end you are nothing but useless." Tygra shouted Kagome's name as the light faded from her eyes, and she collapsed into his arms. "But at least I have this." Mumm-Ra held up a large pearl in his bony clutches. "A power that has been missing for over a thousand years! Mine!"

Tygra's jaw clinched in rage, but he put his focus on the woman in his arms. He carefully lowered her to the ground, still holding her. Clashes of fighting sounded around them. Lion-O's enraged roar. Mumm-Ra's continued laughter in victory.

Reaching up, Tygra touched Kagome's chest. No wound was visible, but he could not feel a heartbeat. "Kagome…" He touched her cheek once again— He stared in wonder as her fur, as if being washed away, started to dissolve, leaving pale white flesh. Human flesh. A growl of despair filled him as he hugged her body to his—

Lion-O skidded across the ground, coming to a stop beside him with a groan. "So… powerful."

"Now it is mine! The Sword of Omens!"Mumm-Ra laughed again, the sword in one hand and the jewel glowing brightly in the other. "Both are mine to command!" The jewel glowed brighter. "Mine to control!" Brighter still. "The universe will bow to me! Mumm-Ra, the everliving!" Finally, Mumm-Ra noticed the odd glow. "What—?"

A luminescent body came from the jewel. A woman, clad in armor and power. "You want the jewel?" She smiled sweetly at the mummy. "Then you shall have it."

She raised her hand, and at first nothing seem to happen, then Mumm-Ra released a horrid cry of alarm. "NO!" His body was vanishing, starting with his feet and quickly moving upwards. "NO!" The sparkling particles of energy left behind was being sucked into the jewel. It moved so quickly, it had already consumed up to his chest. "I am Mumm-Ra the everliv—"

With a clatter, the sword fell onto the ground. And just like that Mumm-Ra was gone.

The woman turned to them, and her eyes softened. She nodded, before vanishing herself, taking the powerful light with her. The power suppressed, the jewel followed suit and fell onto the ground beside the sword of omens. After several tense seconds, Lion-O walked up to retrieve his sword. Once it was sheathed inside the claw shield, he reached for the jewel—

"Be careful, Lion-O." Tygra warned.

Lion-O paused, but only for a second. "I don't think it will hurt me." He says. Carefully, he held it within his clawed hand. He kneeled in front of them, and placed the jewel between her bosom. With a wave of light and power, it absorbed into her body.

Tygra's heart started beating sporadically in hope. Her fur slowly returned, and his breath quickened. "Please." Open your eyes. Open those beautiful blue eyes. He leaned closer, wanting to hear her heart beating again— She inhaled a powerful gasp of air.

His heart soared. Both Lion-O and Tygra sighed in relief as they watched her eyes flutter open. They didn't give her time to adjust, before she was sandwiched between two bodies.

"I-I'm sorry." She whispered, her ears lowering.

They pulled away from her, and she looked down at her lap, still in Tygra's arms. "I explain…" She placed her hand over her chest with a sad expression.

"Later." Tygra told her with a smile, which surprised her.

Lion-O nodded in agreement and pulled out the sword to call the rest of the group. "For now, it's time to go home."

The ThunderCat symbol roared proudly into the sky. For once, signaling hope instead of danger.

.-

The day was warm and perfect. There was no way she wasn't going to go outside and miss it. She pulled Tygra away from his work and into the bright sun. She was surprised he didn't hiss out once the light touched him, being cooped up in his lab for so long. She was surprised she didn't either.

"I needed to get out of there Tygra," She said. "I was going to go crazy."

"You are in no condition to leave the lair," He spoke up beside her, his arm wrapped around her back, escorting her through the meadow, while the other carried a large basket filled with their lunch. "You know you can't transform and protect yourself like this." He subconsciously rubbed his hand over her swollen belly.

He was right of course, but Mumm-Ra was dead. Third earth was safer now, but that doesn't mean it wasn't dangerous. The mutants were still around. She poked him in the side. "Which is why I came and got you." They reached their spot and Tygra began laying down the blanket—

Two little heathens ran underneath the cloth as it was spread out, raising their short arms into the air and barely touching it with their claws as they zoomed beneath it. Kagome smiled, seeing two lumps circling under the blanket laughing. "That's enough you too." She called to them. "Help your father set up the food."

They gave noises of agreement, and within a few minutes the food was laid out on the cloth. Kagome was last to be placed upon the blanket, with Tygra's help. "Can we go play now mama?" The youngest asked.

She looked up into her daughter's blue eyes and smiled. "Don't stray too far." Her son grabbed his sisters hand with a smile and they both ran through the meadow to play. She shook her head at them and spoke mostly to herself. "He looks too much like me," She said. "When he grows up we will have to swat away the girls with sticks."

"I already gave the warrior women a warning the day he was born." Tygra teased

She laughed. "And your daughter?"

Tygra's nose flared at the thought. "I have my Bola whip to keep them at bay."

She smiled. "You can't attack every suitor that comes to the lair," She said. "When she becomes of age—"

"I will lock her in her room."

"She won't like that," she said. "And she will find a way to escape. She has your looks as well as your brain."

He gave a sigh, rubbing his face with his clawed hand. He looked so old in that moment, she had to laugh. They both glanced to their children. Kagome smiled, watching them running around in circles, chasing one another. "I wish I had that much energy."

Tygra chuckled as he sat down beside her, his thigh brushing against hers. "Oh, you do." Leaning towards her he nibbled her ear and she shivered. "Just not where others can see us."

A sly smirk spread across her face. "There was that one time…"

He made a small noise of recollection. "I will admit that it was rather exciting, trying to keep you quiet while I could smell Lion-O outside of the tank…"

"I can't keep quiet."

"No, you can't." He smiled, placing a bite of fruit to his lips. "Which is why I think Lion-O didn't speak to us for a whole week afterwords. He heard us." He bit into the fruit. "If not, he definitely smelt us."

"Oh god~" She placed her hand over her face in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"Even Panthro would have smelt it the next morning." He only made things worse. "Your sweet scent is very strong."

"Mine?" Her pitch went a little higher. "You—!" She pointed at him. "You—!"

He smirked. "Yes?"

"I wasn't the only one in the tank, you know."

He shrugged. "Are you saying you regret it?" He asked.

"Well, no."

"Good." He licked his lips, removing the left over fruit juice. His amber eyes became slits. His voice low and husky. "Because we should do it again soon."

She pouted. "Oh, now you decide you want to be with me, after I had to drag you away from your work," she grumbled. "You've been working for almost two weeks. You've stayed away from me all day and you've come to bed late and… and…"

His palm trailed across her protruding stomach, resting on her side. "I understand now." He nuzzled her neck with an amused purr.

"What?"

"If you wanted attention, all you had to do was ask. You didn't need to drag me away for a picnic." His fangs nibbled her flesh and she fought back a shiver. "I would much prefer to give my mate her needs without the children present." He grinned against her ear. "But I will definitely make up for my absence once we return."

"It's okay. I wasn't that lonely," she said. "Lion-O kept me company the whole time you were busy." She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, smirking. "Does that bother you?"

"No." Yet he pulled away from her slightly, his jaw tense. "Of course not." He clicked his tongue, rolling it over his fangs.

"Don't lie to me."

"What's done is done," he said. "Their is nothing between us, and nothing between you and him." A strand of her hair was pulled away from the rest as he looked at it carefully between his clawed fingers. "He has Cheetara, and I have you." He kissed the strand affectionately.

She leaned into him with a contented sigh. "I like it that way."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Placing his nose into her hair he sighed as well. "Me too."

She raised her head up, and brushed her cheek against his neck. He lowered his head and copied her actions. A soft expression came over both of them, and he leaned towards her, lightly touching his lips upon hers. Purring rumbled between them upon contact. The sound of their children's laughter reminded them to keep it brief, yet the lingering touch upon her hip showed what was to come afterwords when the cubs were put to sleep.

She was no longer upset, but instead she was glad the jewel brought her here. This was her new life. Her home. Her family. Her future.

Fin~

Omg it's finally finished! And so is my book! AND IT'S PUBLISHED~ WhaaaaT! A real book and everything! I can't believe it either! I've been working really hard on it for a long time, which is why I suddenly vanished from Fanfiction for a while. After I finished I went straight to working on this and got it done for you guys.

It's about a world where there are three realms, each stuck in their own perpetual season (spring, winter, summer) and everyone has control of a single element. (Fire, water, rock, plants) But the world is changing, and there are now people who are born without magic, Voidians.

Arianna (Based off of Kagome from Inuyasha, of course) Is princess of the magicless, and she finds out she is betrothed to Prince Roland (Yoko Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho) A flirtatious man who tries to woo her from the moment he sets eyes on her, but she isn't having any of it. A tragic war breaks out with the neighboring kingdom, Shani (The fire kingdom from Avatar the last airbender) Her new husband is forced to go to battle to stop the approaching army from destroying her kingdom, and he places the only man he trusts to protect her, Conrad (Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan)

If that sounds interesting to you, then please check it out! Its already gotten 4 out of 5 star reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads! YAY~!

You can't copy and paste in the story chapters but you can in my author profile~ You can go there and it's the very first link at the top of my bio~

Or just google in ' To Betray My King ' or type it on your URL It should be the very first link.

If you guys enjoyed this story, enjoy my work, then please go to the link. Check out the sample, read it, see if you like it. It would help me out greatly if you guys supported me in anyway you can.

I have a full time job, but I love writing. I spent all my extra time on this story for you guys, my readers, and I'm sorry if I wasn't able to update anything because of it. I'm going to be working on the second book, and I'll do my best to try and update all my other works too in-between my full-time job and taking care of my mom.

You guys and FanFiction mean so much to me. I've been on this site since I was 13, and this community has been nothing but wonderful and supportive through all of it.

I'm just so happy…

It's because of you that I found my love of writing. Because of you that I was able to realize my dream. Because of you, I can now hold my book in my hand and proudly call myself an author.

Thank you so much.

And here comes the tears…