Just saw the new animation video for Mimi, and it's  beautiful ❤️❤️♥️. I have it here for anyone interested in watching it (please keep in mind that I am NOT the original creator of this video. I would highly recommend watching it! ♥️♥️❤️🎆

Jing Yuan gently brushed the snow of the stone pedestal. His golden eyes glanced up at the lion statue that stared back at him. Despite the snow that flowed down and the cold air that surrounded, he felt a warmth build within him as if the statue offered it through their gaze at each other.

"Jing Yuan."

He turned around at the voice that spoke behind him. "Daiyu." He smiled fondly at her as the panthera slowly approached and stopped where she was at, not daring to tread further. After all, this was where his dear companion, Mimi, rested.

The general seemed to have read her mind, and he smiled assuredly. He motioned with his hand that she could come closer. The panthera's ears perked up, and her tail swished. He held back a chuckle as he could tell those were signs she was happy.

Daiyu joined his side, kneeling down in the snow. She studied the features on his face. There was a sadness in his golden eyes despite him smiling. Her face softened at him symphatically. Glancing up at the statue, she felt that sadness appear inside her.

"Mimi..." she mumbled quietly, cautiously bringing a hand to caress the face of the statue. Her eyes shot back at Jing Yuan several times to see if he was bothered by that. To her surprise, his hand followed her lead and cupped the other side of the face.

"It's alright, Daiyu. Though I appreciate you thinking of Mimi. And me." He told her gratefully, glancing at her. Both Mimi and Daiyu were his most cherished friends to him. They fought by his side and risked their lives before to protect him. Not to mention they were his favorite felines.

The corners of her mouth perked into a small smile, glad to see his eyes brighten a little. "Jing Yuan. Can I ask you something?" She spoke as her ears hung low, hesitant to ask him. Their hands slipped off the lion statue slowly, though Jing Yuan's lingered a little longer.

"Sure." He assured her, glancing at her tail. It stuck close to her ankle, hiding almost out of his sight. "You once left Mimi back home to go to battle." She started, reading his face carefully for any shift in his facial expression. He did frown, trying to piece together what she was going to ask.

"Usually, you would take Mimi with you in battle. Why didn't you bring him along with you that time?"

His eyebrows rose up briefly before going back down in surprise. He glanced down, contemplating her question. She didn't see anything in his face that said he was offended or angry.

He glanced back at the statue for a while. As if he was asking for permission to speak. He remembered how surprised he felt to find his lion still waiting at the entrance of their home. Yet, he remembered how happy he felt to see Mimi still there.

"I used to bring Mimi at my side. Until there was one battle where he got injured, protecting me. Fortunately, he was saved by Jiaoqui. But I felt I had let him down." He explained, glancing down at his hands. He remembered when Mimi leaped behind him and took that blow for him. The general turned around just in time to have caught the lion in his arms. He never thought a massive animal like his dear Mimi could so quickly like a feather blown by the wind.

"I knew the battle would be long. And difficult. I thought... maybe it would be best if Mimi stayed behind, so I wouldn't risk losing him in battle. Like the others." He continued, his voice getting quieter. He had sent his friends to check on Mimi once and a while to make sure the lion was alright.

Daiyu saw him shut his eyes tightly, and she thought for sure he would've cried right here. Her heart broke to see him so hurt. He had loved that lion and raised him the day he mistakenly bought Mimi, thinking he was some rare creature. Yet, he didn't care he got scammed.

"When I returned... I saw how exhausted he was from waiting. And when I was in his sights, he had this boundless energy all of a sudden. How he just went from lying down on the porch, like he always when he waited for me,to jumping into my arms."

Her eyes widened to hear his voice slowly breaking. His long white hair shielded his face, so it was hard to see, but she didn't have to. She could guess a few tears must be forming in his ears.

Cautiously, her arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug. She slowly brought his head into the crook of her neck, rubbing his shoulders to comfort him. She was one of the few people that he showed his vulnerability and his pain.

"I... miss Mimi, too."

She muttered softly, bringing her hand to his cheek. Her fingers already met the warm tears dripping down his cheek, brushing them away. Daiyu had some memories of Mimi. Like sleeping on his mane as a pillow. Or how the two snarled and hissed at each other when agitated. She missed him, too.

She felt him move away, chuckling softly at her. He glanced up at her, smiling softly. To Jing Yuan, it made him happy to have Daiyu still at his side. "I'm sure Mimi would be happy though maybe jealous another feline is at my side." Daiyu giggled at that playful comment as Jing Yuan chuckled, remembering how the two fought for his attention.

The panthera sat up, never taking her eyes off him. "I'll wait for you until you're ready. I know Mimi would." She told him, caressing his face softly. "Thank you, Daiyu." He smiled gratefully at her as her fingers left his him. She gave one more look at the statue, offering a loving smile before walking away.

Jing Yuan turned back to it, dusting the snow on the edge to reveal the stone baring Mimi's name. He smiled fondly at it, feeling he was caressing his lion again.

"Mew."

"Hm?" He heard a small little sound and spotted something moving in the snow. Looking behind a stone block, his eyes widened to see a small kitten, at least a few days old, peeking out from behind the stone. Its fur was white like the snow, and those eyes were blue like the night sky. It reminded him of a certain white lion.

Smiling fondly at it, he held his hand out, waiting patiently. The kitten approached timidly, sniffing his hand. Its little ears perked, and it began nuzzled against his fingers.

Meanwhile, Daiyu's ears perked when she heard the snow crunch from someone's footsteps. Turning around, she smiled to see Jing Yuan returning. However, as he got closer, she noticed a white ball in his arms. At first, she assumed it was snow, but then her eyes widened to see it moving.

"Oh no. What did you find now?" She asked,  leaning down for a closer look. Jing Yuan chuckled in amusement at her curiosity. "Mew!" Her ears rose up in surprise when the kitten popped its out, eyeing her curiously. He spotted her black hair and started pawing at her curls like it was a toy.

She glanced her eyes up at him, silently asking if he was sure about this. It felt like they would be raising Mimi all over again. He nodded to her, confident about his decision. He felt maybe it was a gift from Mimi. His old friend was leaving something for him.

Daiyu smiled at him and glanced back down at the kitten. She held her fingers to it, and just like with Jing Yuan, it sniffed her before it started nuzzling her hand. Jing Yuan smiled fondly at the two as he thought in his head.

'Thank you, Mimi. For this gift.'

Happy New Year, everyone!!! 2025!!!🎆🎆🎆🎆