Eyes filled with tears, the young cheetah felt like her throat was closing…. She couldn’t breath… her mom just didn’t understand her! No one did! Maybe that’s why she ran… Today started as such a good day what went wrong… Ming cried as she ran across the land far away from her mother and her home… She wanted to prove to her mom that she was grown up! The only problem was… she didn’t know how. She ran until her paws ached and she had to lay on the ground her tail fell into a puddle next to her but she didn’t care, she couldn’t even stop crying to notice… “I am grown up…” She murmured.

That day started like any other. She was playing like always but then her mother…. She resting after playing and that’s when her mother told her she needed to stop acting like a kid….Then there was a fight… Ming ran… She was going to show her... He mom her siblings… all of them…

When the tears finally faded and dried up she found herself lost in the strange vast rouge lands. A part she has never been in. She was alone…Sure there were owls were hooting and crickets chirping… but she was alone; the most alone she’s ever felt in her life…. She looked down in the pathetic puddle beside her and stared at her reflection and just cried silently to herself think… What would she do now?



Feeling a cold gust of wind blow through his fur, Bali tensed slightly. Having grown up in the desert, he didn't really enjoy colder weather. Not that the Savannah really got that cold, but he was used to hotter than hot. And today was just dismal enough to make him feel utterly cold.

But, having been raised to withstand just about anything, he just shook his whole body, trying to shake off the feeling and move on. It wasn't in his nature to let something slow him down, especially since he wasn't one to ever stop moving forward, as long as he was a rogue bachelor.

Perking his ears up, he caught the faint scent of another not too far away. It smelled....female? He hadn't noticed it before, and that fact alone intrigued him. Maybe it was just a shift in the winds that had made its scent undetectable? Well, that's what he was going to go with.

Trotting towards it for a little while, Bali soon caught sight of what seemed to be a pale-colored cheetah. It was smaller, and seemed quite...defeated. Now, Bali wasn't exactly the caring type on most occasions, but this one intrigued him. He moved in a little closer, squinting his eyes slightly to try and focus on it a bit more.

Ming had her face buried in her paws and hadn’t even notice the other cheetah. But then again she wouldn’t really care. She wanted a friend… a grown up friend… Ming always had someone to play with. She and her sister Lin were inceperable but ever since Lin found a boy-toy she was spending time with him instead. Ming had finally stopped crying at this point but her facial expression spoke for itself. Her head was on top of her paws and she was depressed. She got a chill down her spine which made her shiver. Ming was always an uplifting happy cub but today she didn’t want to do anything but mellowing in her own self-pity.

It was a few moments before she caught the scent of the other cheetah and looked behind her. He was tall like her father but his pelt was nothing but the opposite. Her father was bright blue and he was…. Well pale like her. But she just looked at him before turning back around. She didn’t know what to do, what to say. She never really spoke to anyone except her family… But now her family was something of the past... She was on her own so she took a deep breath but when she went to say something nothing came out… It like her will for survival and friendship just didn’t want to work….


Watching the other cheetah from a few yards off, Bali thought the sight was just downright depressing. He wasn't used to this sort of thing, but the other looked young and quite alone right now. Bali had been alone for most of his life, but he still remembered that first night having no one in the world.

"You know it's a waste of your youth to be trapped in such a sad cloud." Moving in closer, Bali walked around to look at the young cheetah head-on, giving her a light smile. "And you're far too cute to have such a sad look on your face." Crouching down in front of her, Bali wasn't really very good at being a 'shoulder to cry on.' Instead, he just tried to make comments that would make others laugh, or at least cheer up a little. That is, on the rare occasion that he felt like being nice to a total stranger.



Ming looked up at the cheetah as he came closer and looked at her. He was very tall compared to her but she was small for her size in general. “I’m not young… I’m grown up…” She muttered. She looked at him for a moment before she got an idea. “That’s why I need grown up friends…” She paused and examined the male; “Would…would you be my friend?” She looked into the males eyes with her deep purple eyes. If he said yes then she could prove to her mom she is a grown up and not just a child. Ming was always friendly even as a cub she went up to a big blue lion and asked him to play tag. Sure it was odd but she didn’t care she just always loved making new friends.
Making a ‘grown up’ friend would show her mom how was still a question but making a friend would be one step of the way, which would mean she’s already off to a good start. She looked at the male with pleading eyes… all she was think was please say yes…


Staring at her, Bali felt a slight tug at his heart. It was like watching a baby bird trying to fly with one of its wings broken. He didn't really know why she looked so sad, but by this point his only option was to stay here and play nice....at least for a little while.

"Be your friend?" Come to think of it, Bali didn't have many friends. It was mainly due to the fact that Bali never really stayed in one play for more than a few moments, keeping his legs moving at all times. His only real friend was a girl he'd met in the desert; they'd promised to always meet whenever they returned there. She had been so nice, and he felt like he wanted to protect her, just like a sister. In fact, he considered her to be his only family.

"If you want me to be your friend, then I'll be your friend." Grinning at her, it almost felt like a bad thing getting so close to someone younger than him, since Bali was young himself. "My name is Bali."

Ming Let out the slightest smile. “My name is Ming” She shivered as the wind blew through her fur. This was great he said yes! But she didn’t know what to do. She still had no where to go.. and she didn’t want to go home. She looked at Bali, she’s never felt a connection like this… this strange emotion she felt when she looked at the male. It was like air… She had to smile.

He was really nice to her, which made her even more happy he was so caring and friendly… He was enchanting. Ming had completely forgotten about everything with her mother. She just wanted to be with this male… even if it was just for a night or two it would let her know someone care… She slowly moved closer to the male until she was right next to him.

Zhong her ‘guardian’ bird would always tell her that people are not always what they appear to be. But look what happened to him he left to find a ‘mate’. Gee what was with everyone… her mom… her sister… zhong…. But one looked at the cheetah and all she thought about was how cute he was… like when she was a cub and met that boy Koran… He made her feel important.

"Ming, hm? Such a cute name." Staring off in the distance a little, Bali was feeling a tad devious, especially with her moving closer to him. As much as he tried, Bali was an opportunistic male, and this was, well, rubbing an opportunity in his face. At the very least, he could have a friend to talk to for awhile. After all, the Savannah seemed to be such a lonely place for the male.

"Well then, Ming, what are you doing out here all alone?" Turning to look at her, he tried to keep himself contained and pleasant. He was still trying to be caring regarding her situation, whatever it may be. He was almost afraid to dig very deep to find out, as he didn't really understand females too much. Most of the time, they were so different from him, so he had little in common with them. Of course, there were always other motives that could have been fueling this conversation.

Ming blush, he called her name cute; but then again so was Bali himself, and his pelt was similar to her own. Like they were two of a kind. Maybe that’s why she ran maybe that was her fate to find him. Why? No clue but whatever the reason she was happy it happened. She snuggled up to him a little closer allowing there two bodies to touch and when they did she felt her heart race faster. She was so drawn to the male. Maybe this was her destiny, was this why others want a mate, to feel like this all the time? She smiled.

When he asks the question her heart sunk a little, “Well I got into a fight with my mother, so I ra…. I mean I left… It was just time for me to find my own way in life.” She said trying to cover up for what really happened. She didn’t lie but she didn’t tell the whole truth… A little lie never hurt anyone and beside she didn’t want to think about her mother, she wanted to think about want was happening right now in this moment with him… “Beside, I’m not alone anymore.” She said blushing at the male.

Taking in a deep breath, Bali felt rather anxious now, with her getting closer to him. It had been such a long time since someone had gotten this close to him, especially someone who was just so...cute.

"I see. Well, it's her loss then, isn't it?" Smiling at her, he didn't want to weigh her down with lectures on how she shouldn't have fought with her mother; for one, he didn't believe any of that, and he'd much rather support this newly freed spirit then make her go back to a caged life. At least, that's what he thought.

"I guess you're right." Laughing, he wasn't sure if she knew the danger of that statement herself. "But are you sure that's the best choice? I mean, you never know, I could be some creep." Giving her a nudge, he was only half kidding. Often times Bali would consider himself a total creep, but a charming one at that.


Ming smiled, “Yes, yes it is her loss.” Finally she was thinking someone who could understand her. Her mother was always so…. Ugh…. A pain… Besides being with Bali was much… MUCH better than being back in the den… His warm body comforting her… her stomach felt like it was in knots and she was just so giddy she just wanted to giggle continuously.
“I’m sure I made the right choice today.” She said whipping her tail back and forth. If I never would have left I might have never met you she thought to herself. “I don’t think you’re a creep.” She giggled and nudges him back in a slightly playful manner. “Your waaaayyy to nice and too cute.” She said alothough the being cute part slipped out which only ended up making her more giggly and even more nervous.


"Ooooh, so you think I'm cute, hm?" His grin had a sly hint to it now, and he was getting kind of excited. She was playing every card just right, though he wasn't sure if she knew that fact or not.

"Well, Ming, I really don't like this weather. It's far too cold out here for my tastes." Looking up at the sky, his dipped his brow down for a moment as he thought of the cold. Part of his pitiful expression was his actual distaste for cold weather, but part of it was just him playing up the situation.

"Why don't I show you somewhere nice and warm, yeah? I wouldn't want you to be all by yourself after fighting with your mother." Now that part, he wasn't lying about. He did still have a heart, after all, and it didn't seem right to leave her alone now. "Come, I'll show you." Standing up, he let his tail run across her soft fur. Whatever happened from this point on; well, even Bali didn't know.


“Well now that you mentioned it~~Maybe I think you just a little cute” She said with a chuckleBut as soon as he ran his tail across her fur she got shivers and just melted on the inside. This made her so nervous and bubbly. She never felt this way about anyone not even the cub from years ago. But then again he was never as cute and charming as Bali.
She jumped up as soon as he did; not wanted to let him go; “Sure, lead the way!” She didn’t think it was that cold perhaps a bit chilly but she didn’t want to leave his side so of course she eagerly went with it.
She was excited, this was her first night on her own and she got to spend it with such a nice and cute cheetah. This was going to be the best night of her life she was sure of it.