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It wouldn't be all that long before she went on her drum quest. her mind was reeling with questions all about the things she must do to gain her own drum and ultimately her own tune. Mawi mai had told her a little,s he had to go to see her mother, see her and ask her to help build that all important part of every juveniles life. So lost was she in her own dreams of how wonderful her drum would be, how marvellous and so much better than everyone else's drum, that's he barely even realised where she was until she tripped over a tree root.

Gazing around owlishly she blinked a few times orientating her-self with the area at hand. She was near her secret hide out. Beaming she turned towards that place, happy to go and spend the rest of her day dreaming of her quest which she would succeed at, which she would excel at in fact! She would be the best drum quester ever!

Ciel was on somewhat of a quest himself. A few weeks a go, he ran into a very rude cheetah who insulted him and his lovely fur. Calling him, "too bright" and "shaggy". He could have just ripped her throat out right then, right there. Ever since the incident it crept into his every thought, filling him with doubt. He was pretty, wasn't he? Besides, what did some wandering cheetah know anyway? However, her fur was a stunning pink colour. Sighing, Ciel noticed he had begun to wander. He had intended on finding a watering hole or maybe a puddle, but with no luck. He coughed slightly, just beginning to realize how thirsty he was.

"Where's the rain when it could be useful?" He muttered, frowning as he stepped in a area of thick mud and it stuck to him paw.

"Perfect!" He growled to himself. Shaking his foot in an attempt to get the mud off.

Her ears twitched as she heard the sound of a voice, an almost familiar voice. she smiled and turned her attention towards the mumblings allowing her body to follow the sound.

Of course, le'ciel wasn't hard to spot and as soon as she saw him she giggled. "What brings you back tot his neck of the woods hmm?" she smiled padding up to him her golden eyes blazing happily. She was glad to see the handsome male again,s eh had so enjoyed his company the last time she had met him and now, well now she was getting older and she could admire him all the more. His coat was such a striking right colour, like her own, she was glad to see him again.

At first, lost in his own thoughts, Ciel didn't hear the approach of the lioness. Only did he turn to look when her voice rang out.

"Ah! Vinca!" He greeted warmly, smiling. It was obvious the cub he had seen before had grown into a young lady. Looking her up and down, he nodded in approval.

"Is your coat getting brighter?" He teased, chuckling. He had actually had a pleasant time talking to her last time. She almost felt like an old friend to him.

"How long has it been?" He question, so quietly it almost sounded like he was talking to himself.

Vinca smiled a very ladylike smile, her lips turned in a happy smile as she approached him. "perhaps, there's certainly more of it now!" she giggles padding up closer to him and greeting him with a very friendly head butt. "I think your coat is certainly more striking since I saw you last." She purrs batting her eye lashes at the big brightly coloured male leopard.

"Far too long! I'm glad you've come back! I'm about to go on my drum quest. I'll be a real adult once I have my drum and my song" She beams settling down, almost delicately. "So what brings you back to me my friend? I have missed you."

He grinned and shrugged. From the looks of her, it had been a while since there last meeting. She looked bigger, and definitely had a longer coat. Ciel could have even sworn her fur colour went up a shade or two.

"Oh, you flatter me! I wish my fur could get brighter." He mumbled, glancing at his muddy paw. The thoughts of the rude pink cheetah were slowly beginning to disappear as he talked with Vinca. She seemed to be very good at distracting him.

"Your pride must take pride in such rituals and tradition. A drum quest hmm?" He settled himself beside her, careful to avoid any mud.

"I've missed you too, Vinca. I suppose just wandering around the area. I forgot your secret hideout was here, although I'm glad I chose to wander this way." He flicked his tail, the pink cheetah re-entering his thoughts.

"Oh yes, it's very important, a drum quest is the most important thing a young lioness can do with her life." she puffs her chest out, she was perhaps overly proud of her place in the pride, overly prideful of her abilities, especially when technically she was just a learner.

She felt a little disappointed that he hadn't come this way to see her. her hideaway was only a stones throw away after all, still, at least he said he was glad to see her. that made her puff up happily. "Well maybe it's just because I am older, but you definitely look brighter to me." she beamed, her golden eyes dancing like little stars of gold in her head. She was certainly extra happy to see the male leopard. "Maybe you would like to come to my hide away again? I was just heading there for some alone time." She grins. "I need to start thinking about my drum and i can't do it with my brothers around." She paused for a moment and smiled "you're very inspirational though I'm sure you can help me!"

"If only I had something to keep me busy when I was young." He huffed, frowning slightly. Ciel got in an abundance of trouble as a young kid. With his mother gone, and his father dead, all Ciel had was the nanny to watch him and all the other cubs. He was a wrecked as a child. Mostly he did it on purpose, just to get the other mad. He had always been rather rebellious, and when he mother left Ciel for her other family with a different male he was heartbroken.

"I got in all sorts of trouble that could have been avoided with something to keep me occupied." He shook his head, and stared at his paws. He almost wished he had something to keep himself occupied now and out of trouble.

"You don't say? Well, maybe the gods and goddesses just smile upon me and brighten my fur now and then!" He chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"You have brothers?" He questioned suddenly, smiling. Ciel had always wanted siblings, but was cursed an only child.

"Oh yes, it keeps me busy, but sometimes you just have to have some time on your own." She giggles a little and shakes her head in an amused manner "yes, two brothers, I'm the only girl except for mama in the family." She chuckles a little and looks away for a moment "Do you have a family? it's nice to have a family but they can be a bit of a pain. Especially when one of your brothers is a complete sour puss." She pulls a tongue and rolls her eyes.

"You should come and listen to the elders play their drums sometime le'ciel, it's wonderful, all the brilliant sounds they make it's an amazing thing."

Ciel frowned, obviously not pleased with the question. However it would be rude not to answer, so Ciel sigh and shrugged.

"Not much of a family. I had a mother, who I thought loved me, but left me so she could go and live with her other children born by a different father. My dad is dead, so I was left with the nanny of the pride to raise me. There were other cubs to watch, so I was ignored. Nothing special, just another cub. My colours had not fully come in yet, so I was just pale yellow and pink. And since rank was decided by colour and brightness in my pride, I wasn't important in the pride. I ran off when I got older, since I had nothing left there." He stated very matter-a-factly. Ciel didn't much care about his past, and usually tried to forget. But it was a difficult to ignore when someone asked him head on about it.

"Perhaps I will have to. And you can introduce my to you're brothers and these elders?" He asked, changing topics.

"We never had music in my pride, but I do enjoy it."

"Oh" She replied looking at her foot paws rather awkwardly, she felt she had upset ciel but she hadn't meant to,s he was still young after all and didn't really have the whole tact thing down to a tee yet. She smiled up at him and gave a nod "I would love to introduce you! Everyone would be so impressed by your beautiful colours I just know it!" she squeaked happily looking off towards her den now. "Would you like to come? I'm going to go and think, maybe, maybe next time we meet i can take you in to the pride. I bet they'd really like you." She grins her tail swaying happily as she turned away and started to walk towards her little private den.

She paused and looked to leciel unsure if he would come or if he wished for his own alone time. Either way was fine by her as long as she got to see him again.

Ciel shrugged and smiled. He loved meeting people, especially those who would be impressed by his colours. He puffed out his chest, attempting to look all the more bright and colourful, if it was possible.

"I'd love to. Your hideout if very cosy from what I remember, and I am rather tired myself. I've been on my feet all day." He explained, motioning towards his muddy paw. Suddenly, Ciel frowned and stopped in his tracks. Vinca said her pride was about music, and Ciel couldn't help but think of that rude pink cheetah. She had been singing when Ciel bumped into her, and he had politely asked her to stop singing. Not that her singing wasn't nice, but he was in no mood to hear it.

"Vinca, do you have any cheetahs in your pride?" He began, following behind her into the den.

Vinca looked at the brightly coloured leopard and giggled. "not as far as I know le'ciel" She shook her head, as far as she knew there weren't any leopards in her pride either, just lions. She didn't even know that leopards had prides. Shrugging her shoulders she passed in to her den and made her self comfortable on her bed of scented grasses which she had dragged in from outside.


"I think our pride only has lions." she yawns settling her head on her paws as she let her thoughts drift away to the quest she would soon be about to embark on. her quest for her beat and her drum!

"Odd...I met a cheetah in this area who was singing, and I just thought..." He frowned, lost in thought for a moment.

"I guess I just assumed that maybe she was in your pride. She was awfully rude to me. Calling my fur shaggy and the colour dull..." It stung to think about it, and a scowl set into his forehead.

"I just thought maybe you knew her." He yawned, stretching once before he followed Vinca in. The den was the same as before, and it smelled just just as good. He grinned and sniffed the air, settling in quietly.

"It's so nice in here." He commented.

Vinca smiled a wistful smile and opened one eye to look at leciel, "I don't think so any way and clearly she was colour blind if she couldn't see how wonderful your fur is!" She purrs settling in happily. "When I am old enough this will me my own private den, when i can leave my family and just have me time but be able to see them still." She smiles a little wider, letting a happy sigh roll over her lips as she nestled down in to the sweet smelling grasses.

This was the life, dreaming, spending time with ones friends, being alone with thoughts, thoughts of her drum and her song. She was so glad she had met leceil again and maybe this time he would stay for longer. She would certainly like that, maybe when she woke up she would ask him to stay for a while.

Yawning widely she let her mind calm and her dreams take her away to those wonderful musical lands, lands where she knew her song and could play it night and day without any distractions.