Well hello there, yes I have returned and I bring a new story with me! Originally the first chapter of this story was going to be posted last Monday before I left on a trip to DisneyWorld, but between work and packing it ended up being delayed until now. But one good thing is that more details were able to be worked out in my head while on the many planes between me and Florida and the way back.

I know that a large part of this story takes place in Midgar, but the majority of it takes place in Hallow Bastion so please try to understand why I decided last minute to not make it a crossover.

I do hope to try to update at least once a week, that is my goal for this summer. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy VII or anything related to them. This plot line is the only thing that I own!

Warning: None for this chapter

Chapter 1

Angeal Hewley sighs as he takes a sweeping look of his apartment once again, knowing that what he seeks is most likely right in front of him, and just out of his line of sight for the moment. As he searches the simply decorated room his gaze manages to catch the slightest twitch of a black tail that is just sticking out from behind the dark wooden entertainment center. Allowing himself a small smile, he moves forward silently, making sure to keep his movements even and unhurried as to not alert the other of his location or intentions.

When he is finally in position, he quickly reaches down, effectively latching on the leash to the harness and gently pulling back so that the young neko has no choice but to come out from the piles of assorted wires and dust. The black haired neko stumbles out of the small space in a fit of laughter. His blue-violet eyes laughing as well, knowing that he is being a pain, but not worrying about it too much or any potential consequences.

"Zack," Angeal begins as he sets off trying to get some of the dust off of the small neko, "You know that I wouldn't do this to you if it wasn't required by law. The last thing I want is for you to be taken away to somewhere where you will no longer be as safe as you are here."

The giggling neko stops his immature antics and looks up at his mentor. "I don't mind, really. I can wear it, just as long as it keeps you from getting in trouble too." He stops for a second as he stands on his tiptoes to give his human friend a hug around the waist, well as far as he can reach as his hair spikes barely clear the three-foot mark. "Besides, now we can go and pick up my new friend, and I can't wait to meet them." He releases the man and starts heading towards the door, all the while tugging on the leash attached to his harness, trying to make the man behind him hurry up.

Once they exit the apartment, they make their way through the various halls and elevators towards the main entrance and exit for the Shinra complex. As they pass various other SOLDIERS, Turks, and other staff members, Angeal can feel their gazes falling not only on him as to be expected since he is one of the three elite First Class members, but they also fall and linger on the small neko next too him. While it is not unheard of for people to see or even interact with nekos within Shinra, to see one that is under the influence of a mako crystal and still in their small but stable form is very rare.

Outside of the facility a sight like this would be common more amongst the upper classes with its movie and television stars and other various celebrities, and even within part of the upper middle class but never anywhere else. For while the law dictates that the only way that nekos can be out in public is either on a leash with their owner or with identification proving that they are out on official Shinra business. And even then, to see on that is still under the influence of the mako crystal is even more of an uncommon sight if the person accompanying the neko is a part of Shinra. For the most part any neko related to Shinra is full or nearly full grown and only a very select few are ever seen with a neko that has a mako crystal still in effect.

The mako crystals react with the hormones of young nekos and if kept on their persons in something such as a bracelet or collar at all times, can completely stop their growth until the crystal is removed from them for a period of at least 72 hours. The problem with this is that if the crystal is removed, the neko will undergo all of the natural growing it was supposed to undergo over the years within a matter of days. Which is an extremely painful and potentially deadly experience depending on when the crystal was placed on them and how much growing they had left to do in a natural time frame. However, the mako crystals also have one other effect, the mentality of the neko is preserved at whatever age they were when given the mako crystal. So for those like Zack who were given the crystal at around 10 years old in human years, no matter how long they live they will keep that mentality of a ten year old when trying to communicate with others, even if their thought process and understanding is actually that of their natural age. Thus that is why most people tend to remove the mako crystal after only a few years if they decide to keep the neko for an extended period of time. Because most feel that it is inhumane to keep them at such a young age and in such potential danger if the crystal is removed much later in life, even if the results and potential growing pains prove to be too much for some.

Angeal spares Zack a look as they walk, eyeing the simple collar that has a small mako crystal imbedded in a nametag. There have been so many instances where Zack has proven to be far more competent and able than one would think him to be when he stopped aging at 10. It is at those times where Angeal has a deep internal debate with himself on whether or not to remove the collar and let Zack grow to his full potential. But each time he decides against it, not wanting to have to be separated from the neko if he is discovered and sent off elsewhere within Shinra, most likely either to the Turks or to the nearest battle field where he would most likely be sent to die on the front lines or by the men of Shinra if he did not want to fight. That is something he cannot justify doing to the loveable and energetic neko that is a bright spot in his life.

This is part of the reason he has been dreading this 'mission' that he has been sent to undergo today. Why Lazard ever thought that this would be a good idea that would end well without any sort of consequences for any party involved is beyond him. While he could understand the Director's theory that just maybe Genesis and Sephiroth would stop competing with one another and ease up on the distruction of company property with a bit more of a distracting responsibility, the way that he is determined to see this through does not sit well with Angeal.

To let the two of them be the sole providers and caretakers for a neko under the influence of a mako crystal seems like a disaster in the making.

….

After about an hour and a half of walking through the heavy traffic of those going about their business above the Plate, Angeal and Zack finally enter the air-conditioned pet store whose name is on a slip of paper that Lazard had given to Angeal the night before. Upon entering the store, Angeal leans down to unhook the leash and let Zack wander around the store.

As he turns to address the clerk running the store, he allows his eyebrow to rise every so slightly as the teen in charge of the store seems to be frozen to the spot, a bubble of gum slowly deflating in his open mouth. After giving the teen a moment to collect himself, Angeal clears his throat, hoping to bring the teen back to reality. The teen seems to be shocked back into his skin in that moment and he quickly tries to collect him as an embarrassed flush runs across his face.

"Welcome Commander Hewley! What can I do for you today? Is there anything I can get you or the neko you came in with?" The teen nervously runs a hand through his sandy blond hair while the other fidgets with his kaki pants.

Angeal tries to seem as calm and collected as possible as to not make the teen any more nervous than he already is as he extends a hand with the order from Lazard. "I do believe that I'm supposed to collect this order today."

The teen shakily removes the paper from his hand and quickly looks it over before stepping out from behind the counter. His sneakers squeak loudly against the tile floor as he heads into a back room, gesturing for Angeal to follow him. Angeal quickly calls for Zack to come back and follow him as they head into the back room.

The employee with no nametag leads them into a room filled with piled up empty cages, all except for one. That one sits towards the back with a black cloth covering it keeping its occupant surrounded by darkness. The teen walks over and pulls off the blanket with a slight flourish revealing a pile of blankets and an empty water bottle. The lock on the cage is quickly undone and the door to the cage opened with and earsplitting shriek.

Zack is quick to dash into the cage and into the pile of blankets before Angeal can reach down to stop him. Soon all that can be seen of Zack is the very tip of his tail as it swishes back and forth between the blankets.

Suddenly his head pops out of the blankets, a large grin spread across his face. "I think that there's a bit of a mistake. The only thing in here is a weird looking baby chocobo."

The clerk frowns at that and quickly shoos Zack out of the cage before reaching in there himself. He starts digging through the blankets and before long he starts trying to pull something out from underneath them. Whatever it is resists quite strongly and some squeaks of pain and hissing can be heard from under the blankets before a quick blow meets them making the struggling cease.

The clerk climes out of the cage and holds out a rather small and limp blond neko to Angeal, as a few shallow cuts on his arms slowly begin bleed. "Here is what was ordered. I don't exactly know what Shinra wants with a wild one like this one, but here you go."

Angeal takes the neko, trying to be as gentle as possible as it shakes with fear and uncertainty. He gives it a quick look over and discovers that nothing seems to be off or damaged so he takes a moment to look at the information on the tags on its collar. "So that's what he meant by wild one. What is the Director thinking by assuming that those two can handle something as wild and fragile as a snow leopard neko?" Taking another look Angeal can now clearly see two small white ears with black tips tucked in with the nekos spikey golden hair, and now he can also see the distinct white with black spots and rings on the slightly longer than average tail on the small neko.

He takes one last look at the collar to see when the mako crystal was placed upon the young neko and his eyes widen in surprise. Six, at only six years old this neko was forced to stop growing simply so that he could stay 'small and cute' for somebody. This was the youngest age that Angeal had ever heard of let alone seen for a neko, the repercussion of what could occur if the collar is removed are staggering, especially since the collar places is actual age to be 16, about four years younger than Zack, and yet a far more dangerous age if the mako crystal is ever removed due to the amount of extra growing he would have to undertake.

Shaking his head sadly, Angeal holds the small neko carefully but tightly in his arms as he exits the back room and heads back into the store. There he takes a minute to select and have the small neko try on a few harnesses that might fit him and be gentler on him than if a leash would be attached to his collar. He selects a basic black harness and leash knowing that Genesis and will probably get something more flamboyant in the future.

Once he pays for the harness and leash, he makes sure that the paperwork for the blond neko has already been filled out so that he can legally be claimed by Genesis and Sephiroth when they return from their current assignment near Wutai. Once that is in order, he puts the harness on to the neko and attaches the leash before he turns to Zack. "Make sure to hold on to his hand, we don't need him getting lost or tangled in something on the way back." Zack gives him a small sarcastic salute and grabs the smaller nekos hand.

Angeal smiles at the antics of the older neko and opens the door to the shop, making sure that the two nekos exit before them so that their leashes do not get caught in the door.

As they make their way down the street it quickly becomes evident that Angeal needs to slow his pace so that the smallest neko can keep up. By the time they make it back to the apartment it has taken them nearly three hours to make the walk though much of that was having to stop to make sure that Zack did not tangle the leashes too badly whenever he would run off because he was distracted by something, usually dragging the new neko with him.

Once in the door Angeal takes off their harnesses and lets Zack take the new neko around the apartment to help him get used to it even if he will only be staying for the night. Tomorrow he will need to explore his permanent home by himself once Genesis and Sephiroth have returned from their mission.

….

As the hours pass Angeal decides that he should think about making dinner on his own tonight since Zack is still off with smaller neko somewhere in the small apartment. Though, while dinner does not take long to prepare, he is a bit shocked when he calls the other two to the table and sees that the blond neko looks very distressed as he and Zack enter the room.

Upon seeing this, Angeal knees down in front of the blond neko, trying to seem less threatening and to better try to look the neko in the eye when he speaks, though that part is a bit harder since the top of his hair is still a few inches shorter than the three foot mark. But he tries all the same. "Are you ok?" The neko fails to let Angeal look him in the eye. "Is there anything that you need?"

The neko looks conflicted and worried for a moment. "I – I need to go to the bathroom." He turns bright red at this and quickly ducks his head, as if expecting to be hit for his remark.

Angeal gives him a small smile. "That's perfectly alright. Did Zack already show you where it is?" A small nod is all the response he receives. "Good, now go ahead. We'll wait for you before we start eating." The blond neko runs out of the room and down the short all, the sound of a door closing is the only indication that he successfully made it to his intended destination.

While they wait for the new neko, Angeal turns to Zack. "So what do you think of him? You'll probably be seeing him the most so I want to hear your thoughts."

Zack smiles brightly, "He's interesting that's for sure, kind of quiet though. But I did learn his name, he said its Cloud. Kind of a funny name if you ask me since he looks like a chocobo and all, but I guess it could be something worse like Toad or Bird or something like that."

Angeal is thoughtful for a moment. "You said that his name is Cloud. So what do you think of Cloud besides that his name isn't exactly common?"

Zack makes a bit of an annoyed face. "He's really small, even compared to me! And he doesn't know anything. Says he's never left the kennel before now and didn't know that some of these things even existed."

A kennel. It all makes so much more sense now. That must be how Lazard was able to find such a rare breed of neko, he selected one from a kennel so as to have a better idea of the temperament and appearance. A genetically customized pet would be another way to look at it.

But at the same time, any sort of animal or neko that has grown up in those kennels often times have many social issues, most are completely uneducated, and a few have temperamental issues. Not only that, but often times the nekos are treated as nothing but stupid animals and often have to be taught many basic everyday things. This could prove to be a very difficult situation for Cloud if Genesis and Sephiroth choose to overlook these facts.

Angeal does not let his mind linger too long on this as Cloud has now reentered the room, his ears downward fear and his tail dragging the ground as he approaches the table, almost as if he is still in fear of some sort of punishment that has yet to be delivered.

Zack and Angeal give him smiles when he returns and Angeal sets about dividing the food onto the plates. He looks at Cloud and carefully explains that if there is anything that he does not like on the plate, he will not have to eat that part.

After that, dinner proves to be a rather silent affair and before the dishes are even piled in the sink, the two small nekos are fighting off yawns. Angeal instructs them to take a bath and then the two of them can go sleep.

Once he is done cleaning up the dishes, Angeal slips into Zack's room, expecting to find the two of them wide awake, or even waiting for him to come and ask where Cloud would like to sleep. Instead, he finds the two of them curled up together in Zack's bed. The stuffed chocobo that Angeal gave Zack when he first came to live with him is tucked firmly in Cloud's arms, but still in between the two small nekos as they curl around each other.

A small content smile slips onto Angeal's mouth as he backs slowly out the door, not wanting to disturb the sleeping friends.

Well there it is, the long promised first chapter to a new story. I hope you enjoyed it and will be back for more soon!

If anyone is wondering who the teen in the pet shop was, he was an unimportant character who only appears that one time, so he has no name. Basically I was too lazy :P

Thanks again for reading, I plan to have another chapter out soon!

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