At six weeks old, Fuli quickly pelted through the plains as fast as her little cub legs could take her. Ahead of her, Usana was doing her best to outrun her with little to no avail.

"I'm gonna get you!" Fuli yowled, easily gaining up on her younger littermate.

"Fuli, come on! Slow down a little!" Usana panted, trying to quicken her sprint as best as she could. Usana's legs were a lot shorter than Fuli's and her stamina wasn't that great either, so she always had to run in short, scampering bursts and needed to stop frequently to catch her breath.

It didn't take long before Fuli was right on her tail, and the second she was close enough, she pounced. Fuli barreled right into Usana, the two cubs squealing with laughter as they tussled playfully, batting their soft paws at each other's spotted faces. Then Fuli pinned Usana down.

"Ha, gotcha!" she bragged, lightly nipping at her younger littermate.

"Hahaha! Stoppit, that tickles! Hehe!" Usana cried out as she felt Fuli's blunt, growing fangs nibbling along her ears and back. She pawed at Fuli helplessly, trying to push her off. But her sister was much bigger and overpowered her with little effort, Fuli barely budged from Usana's small hits.

"C'mon, lemme go!" Usana chirped breathlessly, gasping for air as Fuli continued her playful assault.

"You can't escape the greatest and fastest cheetah in all the savanna!" Fuli yowled triumphantly as she continued holding down her sister.

Suddenly, the tall, yellow grass started to shake and before either of them even had a chance to twist around, their mother came out forward in a lunge and landed right in front of the two cubs.

"Boo!" Unina chirped.

"AAAHH!" Usana shrieked out loud while Fuli yelped and stumbled backwards. Then they realized who it was and sighed in relief, "Mama...!"

"Sorry, did I scare you?" Unina asked.

"A little," Usana admitted quietly, trembling slightly. Her back was still arched while the silver-gray fur of her mantle bristled from the shock.

"Aww, it's okay sweetie," Unina cooed, tenderly licking her younger daughter, bringing her immediate comfort. Gradually, Usana's fur began to flatten as she finally calmed down.

Fuli chortled; "Haha, scaredy-cat!"

"Fuli, be nice to your sister," Unina lightly scolded.

"Hmph, you were scared too...," Usana mewed defensively, looking down at her paws.

"Pff, no I wasn't!" Fuli said, pushing herself back up on her paws. "I wasn't scared... I was surprised! Huge difference."

Her mother smiled, "Really?"

"Yeah!" The older cheetah cub puffed out her chest and she lifted her muzzle up confidently, "I'm not afraid of anything!"

"If you say so," Unina chuckled again, leaning forward to nuzzle into her eldest daughter's fluffy face.

"Heheee, mommy!" The little cheetah cub chortled as her mother gently nosed into the thick, silver-gray mantle fur on her fuzzy head. Then Unina stuck out her tongue to give it a couple of licks to remove some of the dirt stuck on the fur.

Fuli squealed, batting her tiny paws at Unina's muzzle as she continued to groom her. "Hey, cut it out!"

She ducked away just as the mother cheetah leaned in for another wash. The fur of her mantle always ended up looking messy and could never seem to stay smooth or flat no matter how many times Unina groomed it.

"How is it that Usana's able to keep hers clean while yours can't?" she'd always joked.

But Fuli didn't really mind, the baby fluff wouldn't stay forever anyway and eventually she'll outgrow it as she gets older.

"Alright girls, let's focus now," Unina said once she concluded her grooming, "We must continue on our way."

"Where is our new den site gonna be, Mama?" Usana asked.

"Well we have to keep moving and see, sweetie," Unina replied, "And if we hurry, we can claim someplace nice before some other animal does."

"I wonder what our new home's gonna look like," Fuli wondered aloud.

"Only one way to find out." She then turned and began to pad off. "Come along, dears."

"Okay!" Fuli and Usana both chirruped in agreement.

Unina's daughters skipped alongside their mother, keeping up with the adult female cheetah's strides. Fuli quickly bounded off with Usana closely by her side. Fuli trotted ahead with her tail flicking with each step and her chin held high while Usana padded right behind her, her spotted head just only reaching Fuli's shoulder. Along the way, Fuli made sure to pause occasionally to let Usana catch up when she accidentally walked a little too fast for her.

In just one year, the girls had almost doubled in size, their fur becoming fluffier, and their milk teeth were beginning to erupt from their gums. The once tiny, helpless infants were already growing a lot quicker than Unina anticipated, it almost felt like it was merely yesterday since she had delivered her two, beautiful, little miracles. And as the cubs continued to grow, so did Unina's love for them. With each passing day, the cheetah mother doted heavily on her girls. They were everything to her, they are her family now; she is all she had and they were all they had. And Unina is solely responsible for raising both of them to become fine adult cheetahs who will be fast and strong enough to forge their own paths.

It didn't take long for Unina to notice how different the sisters were from each other despite them being born in the same litter. Both girls were special in their own way, and their mother quickly took note of each of her daughter's unique personalities and quirks;

Her first-born daughter, Fuli, is a young feline full of pride who's very comfortable in her own spots. Even at this age, the little cheetah's adventurous personality was really starting to shine. She's a big bundle of energy who loves to play and explore, always keeping Unina on her toes. A curious and confident child who's developing quite the independent streak; all part of her nature of being a female cheetah. And that alone was showing great promise for Fuli's future as a loner once she reaches adulthood, following the same lifestyle as the rest of her female kind.

In contrast to her boisterous big sister, Usana is more soft-spoken and skittish, though she still possessed a very curious mind as all cubs her age do. Unina's second-born leaned heavily on the passive side, gladly letting her older sister take the lead. And while Fuli was born fit and healthy, Usana was born small and frail. Typically, most animals abandon or even kill runts of the litter, for they're deemed unfit to survive long-term. They usually don't even last a day after birth. Even if by some miracle they do, they were born far too weak and don't develop properly like regular cubs, and their constant need for extra support could potentially slow their family down.

Despite this, Unina never had the heart to abandon Usana, no matter how much she may have slowed the family down at first due to her poor health. Unina slowly and tenderly nursed Usana to good health, making sure her youngest daughter got enough nutrients to grow.

It always amused Unina at how different her daughters were from each other, and it wasn't limited to their personalities. Even their appearances were drastically opposite from one another; Usana looked just like any other cheetah. She had fawn-colored fur dotted with bold, black spots. Her eyes were blue like the sky, just like Unina. Whereas Fuli's were a striking emerald green, and her coat is bright golden with unusual but one-of-a-kind large, brown, rosette-shaped spots that looked more "blotchy". It gave her an almost leopard-like appearance. It was apparently a rare fur mutation and cheetahs like her were nicknamed "king cheetahs."

You girls are as different as night and day! Unina would joke. And yet despite it, the two sisters remained close and almost never strayed far from one another. It warmed her heart seeing how strong the bond the girls shared with one another was, it reminded her a lot of the relationship between her own brothers, being males cheetahs who are naturally more social than females. 

"Are we there yet?" Fuli then asked, a question she had been asking at least a dozen times while they traveled.

"We're almost there, sweetie. Just be patient," Unina promised, striding on ahead so that she was now in the lead, looking around for yet another new den site to stay for the week.

Fuli had long lost track of every time Unina made them move to a different territory, something that she'd been doing ever since she and Usana could walk. But Fuli didn't mind, she actually really enjoyed this semi-nomadic lifestyle. The young girl always loved exploring and whenever it was time to move to a new place, she always got to see new sights and locations her savanna home had to offer. And there was still much more out there that the little king cheetah cub hasn't seen yet. Everyday felt like a brand new adventure filled with brand new discoveries.

Something then caught Fuli's attention and she paused, turning to her right, she spotted a bright red butterfly fluttering around nearby in search of a flower to land on and feed off its sweet nectar. Instinctively, the young cheetah bounded over to the butterfly and began to clap her paws at the butterfly, trying to catch it. In response, the colorful winged insect quickly flew upward to avoid getting swiped at by small, cream paws.

Unina's ears twitched at the sound of Fuli's giggling and stopped in her tracks to look back. She purred in amusement at her eldest daughter frolicking.

"Fuli, stay close to me," she reminded her before continuing onward, Usana remaining at her heels.

Noticing her mother and sister leaving, Fuli immediately dropped her antics and hurried after Unina. She tried occupying herself by batting playfully at Unina's tail while it swished back and forth at her face, though she quickly grew bored again by the lengthy trek to their new shelter.

And once again, Fuli asked; "Are we there yet?"

"Just a little further, my dear," Unina urged.

Huffing in exertion, Usana was beginning to lag behind a little, which Unina quickly noticed. "Would you like me to carry you the rest of the way?" she offered.

"Yes, please," Usana replied, panting softly. All the walking had already drained most of her energy, leaving her weary.

Fuli watched as Unina gently clamped her mouth on Usana's scruff and lifted her off the ground. The king cheetah cub straightened her posture; "I can keep walking."

"Are you sure?" Unina spoke through Usana's fluff.

"Yes, Mama," Fuli assured her, pushing through the slight ache in her paws while walking a little faster to match with her mother's pace. "I'm a big girl now! I'm not a baby that needs to be carried around anymore." Then she quickly added, "Er, no offense, Usana."

The younger cheetah just dipped her head sincerely and softly said, "None taken."

"Okay then," Unina said, "If you change your mind, just let me know. You and Usana can take turns."

"No need," Fuli chirped adamantly, strutting ahead of her family with her nose to the air and a self-assured grin plastered on her muzzle. Unina padded beside her with Usana dangling in her grasp.

The cheetah family trekked onward for a couple more minutes before finally arriving at their new location; a kopje made up of a large, flat boulder with a few other big rocks lying around near it surrounded by a sea of lush, green grassland. Unina sniffed around the area for any lingering scent markers made by other animals who might've already claimed this spot. Luckily for the three girls, the grassland was unowned by anyone, completely free for them to temporarily inhabit for now.

"Okay, we're here," Unina announced, placing Usana on the ground right next to Fuli.

"Whooooaaaa!" The two sisters breathed, emerald green and sky blue eyes widening as they gazed upon her new home.

"Race you to those rocks!" Fuli exclaimed, bounding ahead without warning.

"Hey, wait up!" Usana mewled indignantly. She watched the older cub disappear right into the tall grass and head straight towards the kopje. The younger cub attempted to follow her only to hesitate once she reached the slope of vegetation, eyeing warily at the large boulder jutting from the greenery.

"Fuli, hold on!" Unina chuckled at Fuli's eagerness.

Uneasy, Usana backed away into her mother's forelegs with her ears flat against her head, "Are you sure it's safe here?"

"I'm sure, dear," Unina promised, nudging the cautious child forward encouragingly. "Come on, you can do it," she coaxed.

Usana nodded, still unsure but willing to trust her mother's word. Unina helped Usana climb the boulder, nudging her along while letting Usana push herself upward. Being significantly taller than her cubs, Unina could effortlessly jump up the kopje rocks. She couldn't help but laugh when she saw Fuli trying to scrabble her way up the kopje, standing on her hind legs and clawing at the hard stone.

"Need any help?" Unina called out to her.

"No, I can do it!" Fuli mewed, stubbornly groping at the rock in a hasty attempt to pull herself up.

"You got this, Fuli," Usana called down from the top, hoping to motivate her littermate.

Though the rock was far too steep for Fuli, she only ended up sliding onto her bottom. Fuli looked up at her mother sheepishly and Usana gave a small giggle.

The cub sighed in defeat, "Okay, maybe just a little..."

"Sure, sweetie." The mother cheetah leaned forward on the edge of the kopje and gently picked up her daughter by the scruff, lifting her off the ground and placing on the surface of the rock boulder. From there, Fuli now had a better view of her current home and she joined her family in admiring their new surroundings.

"This place looks awesome!" Fuli chirruped excitedly. "So much better than the old place."

"Mhm!" Usana happily nodded in agreement.

Unina grinned, "I'm glad you both like it. We'll be staying here for a week, then we'll have to move again."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that day, Unina went out hunting again. But despite her orders to stay put, Fuli was now having a bit of trouble doing just that. Ever since the six week old girl was extremely inquisitive about the great big world around her; the savanna was just practically calling her name, and little Fuli couldn't help but answer it.

There's just so much out there waiting for me, I just gotta see it all!

With an extra zest to her steps, the young cheetah cub springed down from the safety of the kopje and ventured out. She plodded awkwardly down the slope of the surrounding grassland on small, clumsy paws that she was still growing into with each day.

"Wait, where are you going?" Usana chirped when she noticed her littermate rise up and leave. "Mama said we needed to stay here until she gets back."

"I'm just stepping out for a bit," Fuli said, not bothering to look back, "I'll be back."

"Fuli, no!" Usana gasped, "You're not allowed to do that. Mama said it's very dangerous, you'll die out there!"

"Relax, sis, I'll be fine!" Fuli chirped impatiently, rolling her eyes. "It'll just be a short walk. I wanna explore this place a little."

"That's a very bad idea, Mama's gonna be very upset when she finds out," Usana pointed out, blue eyes wide with distress.

The cocky king cheetah cub just snorted, "She's not gonna find out unless you tattle. Besides, I'll be back before she even notices I'm gone." Then she paused to look back and meet her sister's anxious gaze, "You can come too if you want."

Usana blinked at Fuli, appalled. Then she shook her head firmly, "No way! I don't wanna get into trouble."

Fuli snorted again, "You're no fun. This is literally our chance to explore!"

"Hmph, not on my watch you don't!" Usana sniffed.

"Fine," Fuli shrugged, giving a sly smirk, "Then don't watch. Later, sis!"

"Wait, what–? FULI!"

Usana's fretful mewls fell upon deaf ears as Fuli skipped further away. She quickened her pace to an attempt at a light, clumsy sprint. 

Adventure, here I come!

The tall grass gradually began to shorten further along. Turning a corner of a nearby bush, to her right, Fuli spotted a dead tree sapling leaning at an angle, a bit of its roots peeking out from the dirt. Fuli scampered over to the sapling and sniffed at it curiously.

Hmm, maybe I can try climbing it?

Standing on wobbly hind legs, she reached her forepaws out towards the deceased sapling and hooked her tiny, blunt claws onto the gray, craggy bark. Then she pushed herself upward, attempting to scale up the tree. She stretched forward to grab onto one of the jagged branches, her backfoot misstepped and she slipped.

"Whoa!" a startled yelp left Fuli, claws scrabbled as she clung tighter onto the tree to break her fall. Trying again, she hauled herself up, though when she tried to get ahold of the branch again, she skidded a little and nearly fell backwards. An annoyed growl left Fuli's throat, "This is a lot harder than it looks."

The stubborn king cheetah cub was just about to go again a third time when her ears perked up, picking up a familiar, bird-like chirping sound; though it wasn't from a bird. 

Mama's home!

Sliding down the tree, Fuli quickly bounded off. Retracing their steps, Fuli led the way back to the kopje. There, Unina and Usana were waiting for her. The former stood on top of the boulders, scanning the savanna while making anxious chirps to call Fuli, while the latter was sitting beside Unina, letting out small chirps herself to help her mother summon her sister.

"Fuliiiiiiii! Come back!" 

"Mama, Usana, I'm here!" Fuli announced as she burst through the grass and made their way towards her family. When they saw her approaching, both Unina and Usana quickly leapt down and hurried over to her.

"There you are!" Unina sighed in relief, nuzzling and licking oldest daughter. "I was so worried I lost you."

"Mama, I'm fine!" Fuli grunted, trying to pull away from her mother's slightly overwhelming embrace.

"Don't ever do that again!" Unina scolded, "You could've gotten hurt, or killed! Why didn't you wait for me like Usana?"

"I told you sneaking off was a bad idea," Usana murmured with a slightly complacent look, a rare expression for the usually meek cheetah cub to have.

"Shut up," Fuli muttered, giving her littermate an annoyed look.

"Fuli," Unina immediately scolded. She then turned to Usana, "Go back to the den, sweetie. I need to speak with your sister."

"Yes, Mama," Usana chirped, and she turned to trot back over to the kopje, leaving Unina with Fuli.

"I just got so bored, you were taking forever to hunt!" Fuli began. "So I decided to go out and do a little exploring while I waited for you. I couldn't help it!"

"Oh Fuli," Unina sighed, "Remember what I told you, the savanna isn't safe for you to go explore on your own."

"Yeah, yeah, I heard that a hundred times already," the king cheetah grumbled, rolling her eyes.

"I'm serious, Fuli." Her mother's sudden grave tone made Fuli stiffen, giving the brash cub a knowing hint that she meant business. "There are many dangerous predators that roam around these lands who would kill or eat a young cheetah cub like yourself. It's why we don't stay in one place for too long and travel around so often, it throws predators off our trails to help keep us safe."

"I know, Mama." Fuli shuffled her paws in guilt, "I'm sorry for worrying you. I really am."

"I forgive you, dear," Unina sighed, calming herself a little. "I understand that you like to explore new places. It's just hard for me, since you and Usana are my only cubs." Sorrow started to cloud her pale blue eyes, "I've already lost your littermates before even getting the chance to meet them... And I can't bear to have anything happen to you."

Sympathetically, Fuli rubbed her cheek against her mother's foreleg, hoping the small gesture would bring her some form of comfort. Unina had told her daughters the story of how she miscarried their brothers, Matakwa and Matumaini, who both died due to being born too early. The young cub knew that Unina was still deeply affected by the loss. She couldn't blame her mother for being concerned over her wellbeing and wanting what's best for her.

Sometimes Fuli wondered if she should feel just as sad about their deaths despite not having a personal connection to them like her mother did. She barely remembered their scent, let alone knew what they looked like since she was still an infant when they passed. Regardless, she could only imagine what her brothers were like had they'd survive.

"Fuli, please try to stay in the den site when I'm out, next time?" Unina said. "I know it's hard, but please try your best."

"Yes, Mama," the cub agreed. 

"Good girl." Unina gave Fuli a loving lick to her fuzzy forehead. "Now then, follow me. I want to show you and Usana something."

"Okay!" Fuli chirped. As Unina led her over to the kopje, Fuli began to recap her mini adventure to her mother.

"Mama, I tried climbing a tree just now!" Fuli chirruped.

"Really?" Unina gave an enthusiastic purr. "Was it fun?"

"Eh, not really," Fuli replied, "It was kinda tricky. I kept falling."

"Ah, sounds like you need more practice then," Unina said, "The more practice you have, the better you'll become at climbing."

"I don't think I'm interested in climbing. Besides, I like running better, it's way more fun!"

Her mother chuckled, "If you say so."

When they reached the kopje, Fuli and Usana watched as Unina pulled out a gazelle carcass that was lying at the foot of the boulders, caught and taken back by her. Usana nearly reeled back in response.

"What is that?!" Usana exclaimed, taken aback by the sight of the carcass.

"It's a gazelle," Unina explained. "Now that your milk teeth are coming in, you can start learning how to eat meat."

Fuli gaped at the gazelle, then she looked at her mother again, "You mean we get to eat real food like big cheetahs?"

"That's right," Unina confirmed.

Usana still looked bewildered, "So we're not drinking milk anymore?"

"Well you still have to for at least four more months. But you can have a headstart in eating meat right now."

The two cheetah cubs padded closer to the gazelle, leaning forward to sniff at the meat cautiously. Usana frowned skeptically, "What if I don't like it?"

"You'll love it, trust me," Unina assured her. "Go on, try it."

Warily, Fuli poked her nose at the gazelle, nostrils flaring as the smell hit her and made her mouth water slightly.

"It does smell pretty good..". She licked her lips hungrily.

"Hmm..." Usana thought to herself, still very unsure. "I don't know..."

Fuli brushed her tail reassuringly against Usana's flank, "Here, how about we try it together?"

Heartened, Usana gave Fuli a small smile and nodded, "Okay."

Settling on the flank area, at the same time, Fuli and Usana both reached out and gingerly sank their tiny fangs into the meat and tugged. A startled growl left Fuli's throat, taken aback by how surprisingly tough the carcass was. The girls nibbled and gnawed; some drool trickled down the corner of their mouths as she tried to bite off a piece of the gazelle. Usana glanced uncertainly at her mother, who only gave her an encouraging nod to keep going. When Fuli finally managed to rip off a piece, her jaws immediately got to work in chewing to make it easier to swallow.

"Ith's kinduf chewy!" she said with a mouthful of gazelle meat. Then she swallowed and licked off some of the prey's blood off her lips. Immediately, she perked up while emerald eyes dilated in delight. "THIS IS AMAZING! I LOVE IT SO MUCH!"

Unina chuckled warmly at this response, "See? I told you."

Fuli was already wolfing down her meal, purring happily as she ate. Even Usana began to warm up to eating meat and was eagerly taking more famished bites.

"You're right, this is so good!" she chirruped with a mouthful of gazelle.

"I know!" Fuli agreed happily.

Unina watched as the two sisters quickly gulped down the meat, pausing occasionally to lick their blood-stained muzzles. A small burp left her lips and both Fuli and Usana giggled.

"Oops, 'scuse me!"

"Finish up quickly, dears," Unina told her daughters, "You need to learn to eat fast."

"Why?" Fuli asked between bites.

As if to answer her query, the two cheetahs froze when they heard a loud growl from the distance. Fuli and Usana looked around wildly to see what kind of animal was making that noise, while Unina on the other hand looked more alarmed.

Following her gaze, Fuli soon found the source of noise; two large male felines with scraggly, golden brown manes, heading straight towards her.

"What are they, Mama?" Usana asked, her voice quivering. Already her pelt was starting to bristle with worry.

"Lions," Unina responded in a low voice, appearing just as concerned as her second-born daughter. Quickly, she nudged her cubs away from the gazelle carcass. "We must hurry, before they see us."

"Shhh!" Unina urged in an apprehensive hiss, "Keep your voice down and get moving! These are the same kind of animals that caused me to lose your brothers. If they find us, they will kill us."

Unina hadn't meant to spook her children, but Usana looked absolutely terrified at the prospect of being hunted, let alone by the very same animals that caused her mother's miscarriage, and was the first to scurry off in a panic, staring back at the lions. Even Fuli finally fell silent, the usually unyielding king cheetah cub decided it was best to not argue here and did as she was told, quietly following Unina and Usana away from the kopje, mimicking her mother's stealthy movements as they snuck away from the predators. The tall grass helped cloak their spotted bodies, Unina slightly peeked above the grassland and studied the lions as they snuffled around. 

The lions weren't here for negotiation. They were rogue males who have just recently been kicked out of their pride now that they're adults, searching for a pride to claim themselves. And while they were capable of hunting together, today these two brothers would rather go for some easy prey; particularly the meals caught by smaller, less formidable predators like cheetahs.

They drew closer, their heavy pawsteps stirred dust at their feet as they walked and they let out low, threatening growls. Unina led her daughters further away. Like she expected, they were attracted to the kill she brought home for her cubs. In no time, the duo found the half-eaten gazelle carcass, and already they began tucking in to the scraps. With the kopje now taken over by the two lions, it wasn't safe for the cheetah family to inhabit anymore. Thus, they must search for a new place.

"Let's go, before they finish and possibly smell us nearby," Unina chirped, already walking away from the scene.

"Phew! That was so close," Usana whispered. The younger cub padded closely beside Unina, not daring to stray even an inch away. The hairs of her mantle gradually began to lie flat from knowing that she and her family were safe for now. Sure, they had lost their meal, but she can always hunt again later.

"Indeed," Unina concurred gravely, still walking ahead at a frantic pace.

Fuli scampered after her family as they set off into the plains once again, leaving their old den behind to the lions. "Why did we let them have the gazelle? We were still eating it."

"That's why I told you to eat fast," Unina responded as she strode on. "So that animals like lions won't steal your food."

"But why do they do that?"

"It's because we're the smallest of the big cats here," Unina gently explained. "We may be fast, but we're not as strong as most other animals. Our bodies are more built for running and not fighting. That's why many animals like to pick on our kind, because they know we're not strong enough to fight back, and if we do, they can easily overpower and kill us, especially when they're in groups." 

"But that's not fair," Usana pointed out with a frown.

"True. But that's just part of the Circle of Life. So whenever you see any big predator coming for you, it's better to run away as fast as you can if you have the chance. Don't worry about the prey or standing your ground, just run."

"Hmm..." Fuli thought out loud to herself, "That sounds lame."

"Oh honey, it's not about your pride," Unina gently chided, "It's about keeping yourself safe. Remember that, okay? You too, Usana."

"Yes, Mama," Usana answered obediently.

"Okay," Fuli sighed. The young girl still wasn't sure if she liked the sound of fleeing from her enemies as opposed to retaliating against them; it would send a message that they shouldn't mess with her ever again. But then again, Unina is knowledgeable in the ways of their kind and is responsible for teaching her daughter all there is to it so that she could grow up to be successful and thriving. And that knowledge would be passed on to Fuli's own cubs in the future, and so on and so forth. It was this kind of information that keeps whatever's left of their kind alive.

"Mama, one day, I'm gonna be the fastest cheetah ever," Fuli declared with a determined expression, "Then I'll outrun everyone, just like you! And no predator will ever be able to catch me! Because I'll be too fast for them!"

"I'm sure you will, dear daughter," Unina smiled.

Despite losing their den and meal, Fuli quickly got over it and became exhilarated over the fact that she was yet again out and about, giving her another opportunity to explore her vast home range even more.

"C'mon, Usana!" she chirped eagerly, dashing ahead. "Last one to that rock is a dung beetle!"

"Hey, wait up!" Usana squealed, hurrying after her. The two giggled as they raced through the plains together, their mother laughing not too far behind.

Every hair along Fuli's golden pelt tingled in excitement as she wondered what other new sights were awaiting her.