Baride sat, his usual pose, prone to the floor, a tiny chin resting on his paws. Who was that cub any how? That black and green lion cub.. Who was she to tell him anything? A slight pout took the cub's face, salmon eyes shooting the grasses a heavy glare. He was -not- a stick in the mud. Quite simply, he was just calm. Right? It had never been easy for the little cub to be accepted by any other than his family. they knew him.. They loved him, right? "...stupid little demon cub.." A slight mutter fell from his little mouth, rolling off of his paws with a weight to make the spry grasses wilt.

It wasn't all that uncommon to see the cub sulking. His ideas of fun never seemed to match the description of another cub. They didn't like the sly games he would come up with. They seemed to like his odd jokes even less. In all honesty, it hardly helped that the cub had a very small sense of humor, and an even smaller pention for losing. Still, the cub wasn't one to fuss or fight. Quite simply, he did exactly as he was doing now. Sulking.

Bugie was..a more bulkier cub and the mother's didn't seem to find him any at all attractive and treated him rather poorly. The other cubs would tease him- and the lil one wouldn't even know it. Getting pushed in to the mud almost aways and having his adoptived mother [ aiko,nanashi,Baride's mom ] Always save him and take him by the his neck out of the mud. She was an angel .. and Nanashi if any was always protecting him too... But he loved all his family and ... pack. It wasn't a pride.. but they all lived together.. Mother had taken Aiko and nanashi to the watering whole and told Bugie to stay and watch over their home. He did.. Sat right in front of momma's den and wagged his tail. "Momma left it to me!" He smiled and was proud.
But that would soon end when the other cheetah kids found him... Alone. Bugie, unknowingly took a few steps forward.. Looking around.. He hadn't seen Baride all day.. and it worried him. He was like.. over protective of his family and loved spending time. But.. Momma said to stay here. His ears planted. "Baride~ ...where are you..~" He said softly before getting jumped by 4-5 cheetah cubs! It was abuse by this time as they nawed at him and easily took the small cub down. "Ahh! Let me goo!!! Momma told me to staaayyy!" He whined and was pulled but the tail behind their den. "Nooo! HELP!" He called almost hopelessly but... everyone left to the watering hole.. And the scratches and bites began. The stomping and he only did what he knew how without hurting anyone.. Curl up in a protective ball like a rock. Tears started to form as he was pushed around.. "Nanashi~" He said softly. "Baride! AiKO!" He yelled..

The little cub's head snapped up, a thin thrill of fear shivering down his spine for a moment. Still, it hardly a moment before he understood. Quick little legs carried the snarling ball of fur to his brother. Little blue-gray hairs stood on end, as a frail kitten-hiss shook his tiny chest. The little slamon eyes were lit with an angry fire. No one. -No- one, would hurt his brother. A quick mind took in the other cubs. He knew this little gang, they teased Bugie all the time. Nipping, pulling his ears and tail. In all honestly, Baride knew that Bugie was larger than he, and larger than those cubs. He was bult differently, more solid. However, that was not a question right now. Someone was trying to hurt his brother, and even so small the cub would have none of it.

Baride dived into the middle of the fray, swarming the first cub his needle teeth found as spurlike claws raked at everything they could touch. Even so tiny, the little hiss turned into a scream, yowling like a demon. This was what they had wanted, right? To pick on his family? Well then, the little dolts would soon find that they had bitten off a bit more than they could chew..

The leopard couldn't hear but the gigglesnorts of the other cheetahs.. for what was minutes seemed like eternity and wished that momma would just come home.. But instead of momma he was surprised to hear a snarling.. But he himself thought it was a demon so he too shook in fear even more and hurled in his lil ball of fluff. The cheetah cubs laughing and biting until they heard the snarling Baride.. They looked at him and one headbutted him. "Two against 5~ Your joking!" One cocky one laughed and thats when Bugie poked an eye open and it was Baride.. "!!!!" Where'd he come from!? No he'd be hurt! With a second hestiation.. he picked his head up.. and hit one of the cheetah's jaws instantly. 'Oww~' He thought but didn't say it out loud. A growl and a much strong hiss came out of him. But it wasn't backed up by action.. He merely growl and two cowarded off between the combined hisses and growls while the others stayed.
Even one jumped on Baride and started at him.. All were cubs. With no real strong claws.. or large teeth but they didn't care. Horse-playing was something they did best and Bugie rolled on his back and starting to kick and paw at them but.. scared like.
As if he didn't want to hurt anyone.. and that didn't help the situation..

Inwardly, Baride scrambled for a plan, something, anything that would pull them out of this. Then came the idea, the one thing he knew would get him into trouble, but the one thing that might frighten these little thugs into taking off. In the scuffle, the cub sought one thing, and one thing only, an ear. His pointed little teeth sank into the thin flesh, and the cup pulled. He wasn't aiming to play. He -didn't- play. These little thugs had tried to hurt his brother, and now Baride was serious. The little spray of blood spattered the gray maw, his yowling turning back to its frightning tone. After all, what mommy said was true right? There was power in blood? ...Perhaps, if he spilled a little, he could atleast get their attention off of his brother.

And when blood was spilled... Something came over the cubs. "THAT CUBS CRAZY!!!" The one that batted at him called.. and more they all scattered. To take blood?! HE WAS CRAZY! FOR A UGLY FAT CHEETAH!? They didnt know much better but fled the scene.. Leaving a shaking Bugie was blood almost covering his back and stomach.. and everywhere.. hurt.. or bled. Even if the scratches were not deep.. they hurt. When he opened.. his eyes. He saw none of them. The ones that did leave him- kicked at him before scattering.. and slowly he lifted his body up only to fall forward on the floor. Fracturing a rib and a few scratches. Grunting .. he looked up at his brother.. "Ba-aride..wher'd you come frum...?" A little blood trickling off his lips.. Which made him look down and fiddle with it with his lips before slurping it up. Disgusting but its what boys did.

Baride's yowl followed the cubs as they ran. "You better run, Wimps! Come back here, and I'll do it for the rest of you!" The little cub sat after a moment, and his little shaking body slowly calmed. It was only then that he would go to his brother, he couldn't be angry with him too. "I was sitting when Momma brought the others to the watering hole... Are you alright? Should I chase after them?" He looked over his brother, wanting to help him lick his wounds. Still, the cub knew a little bit about pride, or atleast, the pride he had. It could be an insult to his brother, so the cub abstained.
Baride himself was a little torn up, a shallow bite at his neck was the repurcussion from tearing the cub's ear, scratches brusied and sometimes tore the skin along his shoulders and belly. In his mind, he was alright. The only things that might have been frightning were the bite at his neck, and the spattering of blood on his maw.

His ears went down.. "No.. thats ok.." He gulped down the blood and whimpered. "Hush.. hush.. they'll come back if you taunt'em like that!" He looked almost horrified.. That was the truth. He was scared.. that in numbers.. and the fact that mother would be disappointed or run him out.. "Why.. didn't you go with momma.. she was lookin for yea'." He said in a sappy way.. Their mother showing him affection that no one else would.. and it made him sad that someone always had to save him.. but he didn't know they were being mean til they really DID attack. Bite. Stomp. He slowly pulled his body up again.. and shook.. Like a scared wet kitten. "I'm fine.. But.. I hafta get back to the den.. momma told me to stay there. An ..protect it." He nodded very proudly.. even if he was beat up and blood dripped from his maw. Yes .. He was fine. Ears fanned up. "Whats wrong...?" Finally noticing his brother's expressions.. even behind that. Something was the matter.. even before he came.. He came up and nudged his neck.

Baride gave a shrug, the unconsious gesture sending a sharp reminder of the scratches that dug into his skin. "I don't know.. I think that others are mean.." The cub paused, face screwing into a thoughtful expression. "...I don't think it matters what you look like. They're mean all the same." He felt a slight annoyance toward mother for leaving Bugie alone for so long. She knew that the others were mean to him. She should any way.. But, there was nothing he could do about that, but there was one thing he -could- do. Baride's face turned his own brand of cheerful, and the cub nuzzled his brother. "Why don't we go back together? ...I don't think they'll be so quick to be mean if we're together." A rare smile took the little cub's face as he turned to his brother to give him a playful push.

He looked at his paws and tried to sit and looked at them. ".....I mean.. I look differment. may..ber right?" Examining his paw closer.. But showed no result of being any closer to a cheetah than he thought he was. He was just.. fat? Sometimes he didn't eat because of it.. but that didn't matter. He was always like this.. and will always be like this. Looking up at the brother that smiled.. Very rarely did he ever.. But he liked it. He shared one with him.. that spread from one ear to the next. When his brother playfully pushed him- he tried to do a shove ~ before putting his paws down and slowly started walking towards the den.. Nodding that they should go together. But the smile faded as he limped.. And it ached to breath.. "Maybe I don't belong.." His ears went down. Shoulders went in to a nit and it was very sad moment. "But I'll try and slim down! Yerp! And then I could play with all the rest. And with you and Nana.. oh and Aiko too!" He turned and tried to hide the sadness.. because he had to look at the brighter side. His tail slowly wagging. "Last one to the den is a rocken ostrich egg!" And tried to push himself to run in strides. With a soft laugh.

Bariede's smile faded as his brother spoke about 'fitting in.' He raised his head as his brother rushed off. "Poo on them.. I don't think you should change one bit..." His voice had softened, the cub returning to his sulky self for a moment. It was the other's fault that he was teased. It wasn't Bugie's. They were stupid. There was nothing wrong with his brother, not in the least. If anyone, Baride knew the feeling. Being paritcularly out of place, no matter what you did. He knew that sort of thing very well. Still, the cub took off, racing behind his brother. It would be good to let him win, though there was no way that he would do it easily.