The Lion Guard: Fuli's Story

Prologue: Welcome to the World

TW: Child birth (idk if that's necessary but just to be safe)

Unina hoisted herself up, though not so much so she could remain unseen as she stalked closer to her current targeted prey, a lone impala grazing out in the open, unaware of the female cheetah's presence. Her belly, heavy and swollen with her very first litter of cubs, jutted out awkwardly from her flanks, making the task of sneaking up on the impala very taxing. It has been a year since she departed from her own family and already she was expecting one of her own, which Unina couldn't be more excited about. She could practically feel the cubs vigorously kicking in her belly as she approached even closer to the unsuspecting impala, who still failed to detect her. Even if it were to finally sense her near, it was far too late, for Unina was finally close enough and made a move.

The cheetah surged forward in a flash, and in an immediate panic, the impala bolted off with Unina not far behind. Due to the weight and size of her belly, running at this speed felt quite awkward. The impala certainly wasn't making it any easier with their sharp twisting and juking mid gallop, anything to throw the predator off its tail.

Unina cried out when she missed another step and tripped over her own paws again. Quickly, she scrabbled her claws to regain her balance before she could collapse on the ground. Her pelt ruffled with slight embarrassment. The sooner these cubs are born the better.

To say that her current state made it tricky to keep up with the impala's swift gallops and sudden turns would be an understatement. She felt heavy and clumsy while running and the extra weight made her slower than usual. Despite it, the expecting mother cheetah persevered.

Quickening her pace as much as she could, Unina finally caught up to the impala and used all her strength to lunge forward and hook her claws onto the impala's flanks. A surprised bleat escaped from its lips as it buckled over and Unina went down with her prey, carefully avoiding to fall directly on her stomach. Dragging the impala to the ground, Unina fastened her claws around its neck and sank her fangs into it to deliver the killing bite. The prey animal's cries were choked off from the blood and Unina tightened her grip. A one or two feeble thrashes, it finally went limp and only then did Unina finally let go.

Huffing and panting heavily, Unina let herself take a breather as the thrill of the hunt wore down. She used this time to also do a quick checkup on herself, making sure there were no scuffs, bruises, and especially no injuries relating to her unborn cubs. Much to her relief, she could still feel them becoming even more restless, having been disturbed from their mother's excessive movements from the hunt.

"Settle down, in there," Unina cooed in amusement as she glanced down at her swollen flanks, watching her spotted, tawny pelt flutter from tiny movements. The cubs are due in about a month, yet Unina couldn't wait to be a mother. She believed to be prepared to face the many struggles that may come from this life-changing event. After all, if her own mother could raise Unina and her siblings all the way to adulthood, as well as many other litters before them, all by herself without the aid of a mate or other relatives, then so could she.

Unina leaned forward, about to take a bite of her hard-earned meal when a loud roar came from behind. Her nostrils flared as they were filled with the unwelcome stench of hot breath and fur, mingling with the dried impala blood. She sat bolt upright and twisting around, she saw them at once; about four lions prowling over towards her with expressions a mix of hunger and malice.

Uchafu...

A growl rose in Unina's throat, her ears pinned flat as the pride drew closer. She glanced once at the freshly-killed carcass, swallowing in her frustration as she reluctantly backed away into the long grass she had chased the impala through. As exasperated as she was with being forced to abandon her catch before she even got a chance to eat it, she knew better than to tangle with predators like lions, especially with cubs along the way.