Three days have passed since Unina gave birth to her litter of four cubs, only to have her two daughters remaining while her sons were buried outside the den, both have unfortunately perished far too early; one being stillborn while the other barely took a breath before he too succumbed to the same fate as his brother. Their untimely deaths were likely a result of the scuffle Unina had with the lion pride just moments before, and the stress that came from it triggered their mother's untimely labor. Her heart still ached heavily with grief for her boys whom she'll never get to meet, but Unina still didn't break, she couldn't afford to. Her daughters needed her, they were all she had left and she was all they had. They need a strong mother if they are ever going to survive.

After three days of rest to recover from birthing her cubs, the mother cheetah is on the move. Unina peeked outside of the underbrush at around dawn. Once sure that the coast was clear, Unina emerged from the den and set off on her way, leaving her two daughters behind. Their soft confused cries tugged at Unina's heart a little and she quickened her pace; the sooner she can find a new den site, the sooner she can move her cubs. As cozy and safe as the underbrush was, she knew they couldn't stay forever, for the scent of newborn cheetah cubs would soon attract predators to their location at any moment.

Unina strode out into the early morning savanna, pausing occasionally to sniff out any signs of nearby threats lurking around. In just a few minutes, she finally found a new den site; a thick bush just fifteen meters away from the old spot. It was perfect to hide her cubs, the canopy of leaves would provide shade from the bright sun and the prickly branches would provide extra security to deter any possible hunters from poking their noses around to seek out her children. And the important thing was that the distance from this new den site and the previous was enough to diffuse the babys' scents.

Quickly, Unina hurried back to the underbrush where her litter of two were waiting for her. Gently Unina picked up the older cub by the scruff and carried her over to the new den site. The young cub let out a startled high-pitched chirp, wondering why her mother was removing her from the comfort of their current nest.

"Mah ?" she mewed, as if to ask her mother where she was taking her.

Soon the cub arrived at her new home. Carefully, Unina lowered her eldest daughter onto the ground beneath the bush. The little cheetah squeaked and chirped as she was placed into her new den, blindly squirming around in place while her mother left her again to fetch her sister. After a few minutes, Unina turned up back at the bush with the younger infant in her jaws. She settled her down next to her littermate and the two girls instinctively snuggled up together in the new den site.

Unina would love nothing more than to laze around with her children again, she knew that her day was still far from over. Perhaps motherhood wouldn't be a breeze like she initially thought, and the loss of her sons still felt like a fresh wound. But Unina still remained undaunted by the newfound responsibility, assuring herself that she'll get by just fine in the end, as her own mother did for years. With the cubs secured, she must now go on a hunt in order to produce enough milk for them.

It's always a huge risk to leave young, infant cubs unattended for long; they're still blind and helpless, and their chances of vulnerability only increase the longer their mother is out. But it was a risk every cheetah mother is willing to take if she is going to keep her children alive.

"Mommy will be back soon, sweeties," Unina promised, giving each of her daughters a tender lick to her fuzzy head.

Without wasting any more time, Unina headed out again, leaving her defenseless litter in the bush. She began making her way out into the plains again. Eventually, she caught the scent of prey and tracked it all the way down into an open grassland. There, she noticed a herd of Thomson's gazelles grazing a couple tail-lengths away from where she was standing. Immediately, Unina crouched low on the ground so that the tall grass cloaked her tawny, spotted body, muscles tense and ready. She attentively observed the herd tranquilly munching away on the grass, unaware of the predator watching their every move. Unina then hoisted herself up a little more but not so much so she could remain hidden as she stalked closer to the gazelles.

She singled one that was standing more distant from the others. Its back was facing her as it grazed, occasionally it would raise its head along with its other companions, listening for any predator that could be lurking nearby this very moment. Luckily for Unina, they failed to detect her so they all carried on munching away at the grass. Unina held her breath as she froze each time the prey raised their heads before gradually creeping closer inch by inch when they were distracted again. Her targeted gazelle would occasionally walk further away from her path, so Unina had to adjust and move herself until she was near with her prey again. She stalked again, staying downwind, drawing closer to her target until she was practically right at its hooves.

Unina's nostrils flared at the tantalizing scent of her target, her mouth beginning to water a little. Bunching up her hind quarters, her tail flicked to the left once, then she pounced.

Immediately, the small antelope bolted off in a panic, the sudden move alerting the others and causing them all to flee into different directions. But Unina didn't mind them, she was only focusing on this one. With a burst of speed, after her target she went, churning her paws vigorously into a lightning-speed sprint that her kind was well known for. A stream of dust trailed at her feet as she followed in hot pursuit for prey. Still greatly weakened after giving birth, running at this speed felt especially tiring. Her game was keen to not let her win so easily either, sharply twisting and juking mid gallop in attempts to throw her off its trail. Unina huffed in exertion, stumbling and missing hard turns left and right.

Her current condition made it tricky to keep up with the tommie gazelle's swift, sudden movements; she felt significantly slower than before. But much like her prey, she was very stubborn, and so she pushed onward, refusing to give in. She needed to eat, and so did her daughter.

" Huwezi !" she muttered underneath her breath. Unina poured in whatever speed and energy she had left to finally catch up to the prey animal. The cheetah made sure to keep at least half a tail-length away from the small antelope to avoid its kicking hooves. Summoning every bit of her strength, she lunged forward, clawing at the gazelle's legs. A surprised bleat escaped the it's lips as it began to lose its balance. The second it buckled over, the spotted hunter sprang forward and lashed out at the small antelope again before it could get a stable itself, hooking her claws at its flank and hauling it back. The tommie's cried out as Unina went down with it. Dragging it to the ground, Unina fastened her claws around its neck and sank her fangs into it to deliver the killing bite. Its cries were choked off from the blood, Unina tightened her grip. A couple of thrashes, then a feeble kick, and the prey finally went limp.

Panting, Unina let go of the gazelle's neck and licked at her warm, bloodstained jaws. She did a quick checkup on herself, no scuffs or bruising. Unina gave a satisfied huff, feeling triumphant and proud. It had been three days since she's last eaten, and she had been very lucky today; her kind may be the fastest land animals in all of the savanna, but their lightning-fast speed can only last for so long and eventually they will tire out, often resulting in their prey getting away free. And even if they were successful, there were many other larger and stronger predators who often target and steal food from cheetahs, knowing that they were physically unable to overpower them.

With that in mind, Unina made sure to waste no more time and immediately began digging into her meal. The sooner she finishes, the sooner she'll be able to return back to her girls and feed them.

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Back at the den, Unina's two daughters were still lying in the den, their tiny, fluffy bodies curled up tightly and nestled closely to each other for warmth. They both instinctively stay put, and for very good reason. At this age, they're both completely helpless, and without their mother currently around to protect them, they're an even easier target for any kind of threat; from prowling lions, leopards, and hyenas on the plains, to eagles soaring through the skies.

Nearby, a puff adder slithers on by near the bush, in search for a place to lie in wait in order to ambush its next meal. The little cubs barely make a movement, let alone a sound, as the venomous snake passes by. Lucky for them, the reptile isn't interested in making a snack out of cheetah cubs, and carries on its way as soon as it discovers the bush spot is already occupied.

Nealy past half a minute has gone by, and Unina has yet to return. The two young cheetahs wriggled around restlessly as they grew hungry. The oldest one desperately calls out for her mother in pitiful mewls;

" Mah ? Mah !"

Her baby sister joins her shortly; " Mah ! Mah ! Mah !"

They hunker lower to the ground, their bodies shivering as they begin to grow cold. Whimpering, the cubs try again, crying for Unina to come feed them, increasingly growing more famished, confused and scared by her prolonged absence. Fortunately, their cries have been answered, as Unina soon came padding back over to the den site.

" Mah !" the little cheetahs chirped in relief, shakily stretching out their head and scrabbling towards where they could smell their mother's familiar scent.

"Oh, my babies, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long," Unina apologized softly, stepping into the thicket and lying down beside her cubs. Tenderly, she lapped her tongue over the little ones, comforting them. "There there, don't cry. Mommy's here now."

The adrenaline from the hunt had already worn off, leaving Unina feeling more exhausted than ever; now she can finally relax with her cubs.

The little infants crawled over towards the curve of Unina's belly and began to nurse, finally putting an end to their cries. Now they made a new noise; soft, content purring. Unina gave a purr of her own, the sound rumbling deeply in her throat and she couldn't help but smile as she watched her daughters feed.

The oldest cub was the first to finish, withdrawing her tiny muzzle away from Unina and licked up the leftover drops of milk that dribbled from her chin. The milk filled her belly, warming her up instantly.

"My, you sure are very fast, aren't you?" Unina purred in amusement. She thought silently to herself for a heartbeat before speaking again, saying her older daughter's new name for the first time; " Fuli ."

She then turned to the younger, smaller cub, who was still taking her time nursing. "And I shall call you Usana , the small baby of our family," Unina declared, nuzzling the smaller infant.

It was clear that Usana is the runt of the litter, Unina was admittedly surprised she managed to make it past the first night; the cub wasn't as strong or physically healthy compared to her big sister, she's even half the size of Fuli too. Though this isn't going to get in the way of Unina's love for her, her life is just as precious as her sister's.

Fuli and Usana's deceased brothers then came into Unina's mind, despite not being here, it didn't feel right to her that they're left unnamed, as if they were already forgotten by their family.

 I won't forget them. They deserve a name, too. Unina thought about it for a moment, before settling on Matakwa and Matumaini, reflecting on Unina wishing they could be thriving alongside their sisters, while also having hope for nothing but the best to come for her two surviving daughters. It could also relate Unina's hope that the spirits of her sons are nearby, and that they now reside in a place free of pain and suffering, where the two would forever be happy.  

My boys, Matakwa and Matumaini... Mommy will never forget you both. Watch over your sisters.

Now that she's finally full, the newly named Fuli is now more active and starts to do a little exploring. Standing up on her hind legs, the bigger infant started to climb over her younger littermate. Usana let out a disgruntled squeak at the sudden weight of Fuli squishing her to the ground. Using her littermate as a boost, Fuli began to climb up along the side of her mother.

Unina chuckled as she watched the eldest child blindly push herself upward against her body, Fuli mewed excitedly as felt her way around, gradually inching her way up the adult female cheetah before reaching her flank. Then the cub lost her balance and slipped, sliding gently down Unina before lightly plopping back onto the ground next to her Usana. Fuli gave a displeased chirp, as if annoyed at her failed climbing attempt. Unina still couldn't stop smiling as she gazed at her only cub adoringly.

"Nice try, sweetie," she whispered, nuzzling Fuli.

The short climb had already tuckered her out greatly and Fuli gave a great big yawn as she snuggled up closer to her mother's soft fur for yet another nap. In a few minutes, Usana finally finished drinking milk and joined Fuli in taking a nap herself. Unina wrapped her tail around the small infant, keeping her extra cozy.

"Rest well, my dears," she whispered to her daughters, "Beautiful, little Fuli and Usana."

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Two weeks have passed, and within that time, both Fuli and Usana have opened their eyes; Fuli revealed herself to have a pair of striking emerald green orbs, which Unina assumed it to be inherited from the male who sired this litter. Whereas Usana's were sky blue orbs, the same as Unina.

At this age, both girls were taking their first steps on clumsy paws out of the nest, eager and alert, they gazed out into the new world around them wide-eyed, filled with curiosity and wonder.

"Whoa!" Fuli chirped, looking around at her surroundings, "Everything looks so big out here!"

Her mother chuckled warmly, "And now you and your sister are old enough to start following me around instead of staying in the den."

"Really?" Fuli gasped excitedly.

"What if it's scary out there?" Usana mewed worriedly, backing away into the den.

Fuli turned to her sister and gave her an encouraging nudge, "Come on, Usana! It'll be fun! Our first time out in the savanna, think of all the things we'll see out there!"

"But what if it's scary?" Usana repeated.

"It'll be fine," Unina coaxed, encouraging her younger cub to step further away from the nest, "I'll be with you the whole time."

"Me too!" Fuli chirruped, "We'll walk together."

Usana gave a small, comforted smile, "Okay."

"Come along, dears," Unina said, already turning to leave. "Stay close to me and don't go too far ahead or behind."

"Woo-hoo! Let's go," Fuli cheered, already scampering after Unina, "Next stop, anywhere!"

"Wait for me!" Usana chirped, hurrying after her family.

With that, the two young girls followed their mother out of their old den site and out into the plains, ready for their first real, big adventure.