There's one thing I have to say. Holy shit, I can't believe it's almost been a year since I've updated this thing. Well, I'm about to make up for it. I hope I didn't lose a lot of you, and if I did, I'm sorry about that. I don't really know what happened. But, anyway, here's chapter 10. I must've received a reward for the worlds longest cliffhanger, because, well, you're all probably wondering what happened to Murrue. Time for you to find out ;) I'll give you guys a little recap real quick.

Murrue grabbed Kira's arm and they both slowly tilted their heads up to the tree above them. Low and behold, there was the culprit of the cracking noise…their 'panther' in question.

"Murrue…run!" Kira exclaimed in a whisper and grabbed Murrue by the wrist and ran in the opposite direction of the thing.

They could hear it jumping from tree to tree, following them. They would need a miracle now. They picked up a lot of speed, running faster than they could've ever imagined. They jumped over logs and fallen trees, not even slowing down for air. Just as they were about to out run the thing, Murrue's foot caught on to a branch and she tripped. Kira went to pull her back up, and in that little amount of time, it caught up with them. It landed right in front of the downed brunette and the violet eyed boy beside her. When Murrue looked up, she let out a horrendous scream.

Mu's ears picked up on the high pitched noise back at camp. He immediately knew what is was…a scream. By then everyone else realized. Even in the depths of the woods Yzak and Dearka heard and stopped to look in the direction the scream came from.

"Murrue," Mu whispered, feeling his heart sink.

Dearka and Yzak were the first to react. Their first instinct was to run off into the direction the loud scream came from. Neither of the two was sure of it was Milly or Murrue, maybe one of the others? Regardless, they ran as fast as their long legs would take them. Whoever it was, they probably needed help, and fast. Water from the creek splashed all over their faces and clothes as they raced down with the current.

'Hang in there, whoever's in trouble just hang in there. We're almost there,' Dearka thought to himself.

'I swear if that thing put a scratch on anyone, I'll rip its fucking throat out,' Yzak cursed and spat as he ran. His throat was dry and his heart was about to throb out of is chest. But, he paid no mind to that, he had a one track mind right now, and that was saving whoever was in trouble, and killing that goddamn pathetic creature.

Mu wanted to run as fast as he could to that creature, and slit its throat for all it's worth. But, as hard as he tried, he couldn't manage to stand, let alone run. It pissed him off, more than anything, to be helpless in sticky situations, especially when Murrue's the one in trouble. He knew she was in good hands with the kid, but after what that thing did to him, he had no idea what it was capable of, but then again, you never knew what Kira had up his sleeve either.

"Athrun, Murrue and Kira, they can't take that thing on their own, we have to do something!" Cagalli was near hysteria, tears of fear and anger forming in her eyes, burning paths down her face.

Athrun growled low in his throat. He looked around frantically for some kind of a weapon, but the only thing he saw was sticks. He thought of the guns her knew for sure everyone kept in their cars, but the thought just made him even angrier. Their cars were way out of their reach now, so he was left with nothing. Unless…

"Cagalli, remember the knife I always keep with me, it was the one I almost killed Murrue with on Heliopolis. Is it still with you?"

Cagalli reached behind her, pulling down her dress, revealing a knife holster, fastened around her body, and low and behold, Athrun's knife was still secured inside, just itching to be used. He smiled and grabbed her face, kissing her. He pulled his knife out and turned around to face Mu and Lacus. Mu and Lacus looked bewildered, eyes wide, smirk on Mu's face.

"Do you always arm your girlfriend before you leave your house, or was this just dumb ass luck?" Mu commented, bringing a smile to Athrun's face once again.

"I never leave home without it. Somehow, this baby always comes in handy,"

Mu then suddenly remembered something. He smiled to himself at how similar everyone was to each other.

"Lacus, could you reach behind my back and get the gun that's back there?" Lacus looked stunned. Cagalli and Athrun could of died.

"Mu, did you really forget you had a gun. You went after that thing with a tree branch, but the whole time you had a gun?" Athrun asked in utter amazement at Mu's denseness sometimes.

"Well, even if he did have a gun then, it's not there anymore," lacus informed nervously, realizing the gravity of their situation, like everything just kicked in now.

"The hot-springs," Mu suddenly remembered. "Shit, I left it there. If for some reason you end up at the springs you two, look for it. It's an M-6, fully loaded, packs quite a punch,"

"We will, thanks," Athrun nodded and looked to Cagalli. "Stay close, and if that thing comes anywhere near you, kick its ass like you kick mine," He smirked.

She laughed and nodded her agreement. "Will do,"

"Oh, and, Athrun?" Mu spoke up just as they were both about to run off into the dark forest.

"Yeah, Mu?"

"If that thing put so much as even a little scratch on Murrue's body, give it my best regards," Mu gave him the thumbs up and an encouraging smile that both he and Cagalli returned, and then they disappeared into the woods, with every hope to come back again.

Their hearts were racing, ready to plunge out of their chests onto the forest floor in front of them. The adrenaline they felt was almost too much to bear. They were lightheaded, dizzy, vision blurred by tears of fear. Their blood was rushing, the sounds of it pumping and pulsing caught in their ears, like a broken record. They felt like they couldn't move, but if the could, would it make a difference?

Murrue reached up and grabbed Kira's pant leg, gripping it with all her might.

"Kira," She hissed through clenched teeth.

He reached down to firmly grab her arm. The creature before them let out a venomous growl. If they wanted to get away, it was now or never, and they preferred it to be now. Kira lifted Murrue up, pushed her behind him, and told her to get on his back. Instead of insisting she could run herself, she complied like the soldier she was taking orders. He could feel the edges of his senses tingling. If he was going to go into SEED mode, he hoped it was now. He began running the direction in which they came in. He swerved between trees, ran under fallen trees that got stuck on each other, jumped over mud, ran through springs and creeks, anything to get that thing off his trail, but no matter what, it was always right behind them. Even as a coordinator, he was not match for that panther's speed.

'It just had to be a cheetah didn't it?' Kira asked himself rhetorically. Kira was beginning to become more annoyed than frightened by whatever that thing was. It's persistence really pissed him off. He could feel that tingling become an itching feeling, tempting him, taunting him, wanting him to kill. Usually he'd try to push it down and bottle it up, but right now, he wanted it to drag its way up, to boil over and explode. He was just about to stop and tell Murrue to continue running on her own, when he saw two figures rushing towards him at full speed. His heart stopped momentarily until he heard a familiar and welcomed voice.

"Kira!" It was Athrun. God was he happy to see that man. "Take Murrue back to camp! We'll take care of this!"

At first Kira wanted to protest, but bit his lip instead and continued to run. Murrue's safety was the first thing he needs to think about. He knew she could handle it herself, but he knew her senses were blurred by the presence of that creature. He ran right through the middle of Athrun and Cagalli as they stormed past each other. Kira could dimly see the fire they started through the brush and trees. He ran faster and faster, the itching now a burning sensation all throughout his insides. It felt like flames were licking the inside of his throat, setting his mind aflame. He bushed through the last of the bushes and stumbled into camp. Mu and Lacus looked up, startled. Kira gently put Murrue down and turned to leave again, to go back into the wood where Cagalli and Athrun would surely need him. Just before he could begin sprinting, Someone's arm grabbed him. He whipped around to see the culprit, it was Murrue. She opened her mouth to say something, but halted when she saw his violet eyes. They were, dull, lifeless, and angry. He'd reached SEED mode. She slowly released his arm and nodded slightly, and then she set him free. Within a matter of seconds, he was off out of sight again, back into the woods. The three of them just hoped he's come back in once piece.

Athrun jumped out of the way as the panther swung one clawed paw at him. He rolled in some brush and then re-gripped his dagger. He jumped out and did his best to make contact with some part of its body, but failed miserably. Cagalli stood, looking frantically for something to use as a weapon. Sticks, leaves, rocks, she did a double take on a long sharp, pointy rock. She dove for it and rolled back up to her feet. While Athrun was occupying their friend in the front, she readied herself to run the rock resembling a small knife right through it. She lurked quietly behind a tree, her heels sinking into the ground beneath her. When she felt the moment was right, she bolted from behind the tree, stepping quietly as she ran, and nailed the rock strategically into a few muscles in its back. The creature let out a loud, ravenous growl as it writhed painfully.

It swung an arm backwards, catching Cagalli in the head. She was knocked about five feet to her right and landing on the ground, motionless.

"Cagalli!" Athrun yelled as he saw her get knocked to the ground.

The creature reared its head to the front again, burning a path with its golden cat eyes right into Athrun's emerald ones. It was beyond angry now, and it was going to take it out on Athrun. It swiftly pulled an arm back and, before Athrun could even think to see what it was doing, grabbed his neck much in the way it grabbed Mu the night before, and lifted him from the ground. Athrun flexed his neck muscles to prevent himself from being choked to death. He pulled back his knife and prepared to plunge it into the panther's chest, but with its other free arm, the creature thought faster and knocked the knife out of his hand and off out of his reach. He was really in for it now, and he couldn't even sink to the level of needing help, because he had no voice to call for it with.

The panther rose a clawed hand up and stuck one of the sharp shiny bones protruding from its fingertips to Athrun's neck and pushed with some force. Athrun inhaled sharply and then choked as he felt his skin being punctured. He felt the heat from his own blood run down his neck and onto his white blouse. This was not good; he'd need a miracle to stay alive now. The panther traced his deadly path across Athrun's neck. Not deep enough to do much damage, but deep enough to bleed. It brought its claw back, and this time, stuck it in further. Athrun felt blood in the back of his throat and instinctively coughed it up. The merciless creature then began to slide its nail across the line it traced earlier, this time, penetrating deep enough to kill. Athrun knew this was it, and was sorry he couldn't save Cagalli and the others. He felt black closing in around him, his vision shaking before him. He was numb, the pain feeling a long time ago for him. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he caught sight of a pendant strung around the creatures neck, he wondered what it was as his world faded to black.

'I guess I'll never know,' He thought to himself as his eyes finally closed.

Before he could fall completely out of consciousness, he heard something in the brush. He hoped it was someone to help him out, be he couldn't be sure if he was just imagining it. If what was about to happen was real, then maybe there were such things as miracles in this distraught world. A figure that he could quite make out jumped onto the creatures back, knife to its own throat. In a whirlwind of sound and a hurricane of movement, the creature dropped him onto his back, knocking the wind right out of him. The creature swung the figure about in its back. The figured managed to cut what seemed to be its throat, but not enough to stop it. Instead, something golden fell from its neck instead…the pendant. Athrun let his head fall to the right, and noticed something shiny about six feet away. He then realized it was his knife.

He flipped over into his stomach and began to crawl towards it. He coughed up more blood and choked on the very air he breathed, but managed to grab hold of the black grip to his knife. He then pushed himself up with all of his strength, maybe even some of the strength he didn't have and stumbled towards the creature, His vision cleared for but only a moment, but enough for him to realize Kira had come to his aid. He was now currently in the ground being strangled by the creature. Athrun moved quickly, he snuck up begin the creature and made his move. He aimed straight for the creatures back, hoping his aim was precise. If so, he'd pierce its heart. He rammed the dagger right through to the front, blood splattering all over Kira. He ripped it upwards to make sure he had it, and then pulled it out. The creature howled in pain and jumped away from the two men. Athrun thought he'd killed it for sure, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. The creature panted and cried, but dared not move any closer to the two of them. Instead, it backed away slowly into the dark safety of the woods, knowing full well they wouldn't follow it. They merely stood and watched until it was completely gone before they turned to each other. Athrun then took this moment to succumb to his injuries.

"Athrun!" Kira cried as his best friend fell forward into his arms. Kira then took notice of his neck, his SEED mode fading away to black until the next time he needed it. He rolled Athrun over and checked him out for any other serious injuries. He soon realized that the creature only managed to dangerously slice about and inch and a half across his neck, so with a little care from Lacus and Murrue, he's be alright. He then looked over to where Cagalli lay unconscious, and saw that she was starting to come to.

"Cagalli," He called over to her. She looked up to him with golden eyes. She then saw Athrun and was up in a flash.

"Oh my god, what happened to him? Did that son of a bitch cat actually get that close to him?"

"It appears so, but, it looks like the cute isn't to deep or too far along to be life threatening, still, we need to get him back to camp right away," Kira confirmed as she nodded. Kira picked Athrun up and Cagalli helped him onto his back. Just as they were about to get going, something gold caught Cagalli's eye.

"Hold on, Kira, I think I saw something," She walked over and bent down to see what she found.

She picked up the same gold locket that fell off the panther's neck. It was shaped like a sun and had writing all over it. It looked sort of Egyptian through her use of knowledge. She looked to Kira in confusion.

"Keep it, I think I saw that same pendant around that cats neck," She nodded her agreement and began walking towards the direction of camp with Kira. She had no idea what she just found, but was sure it would help them kill this creature that was so persistently stalking them.

Well, there it is. I hope everyone enjoyed. That pendant plays a very important part in the rest of the story, and the reason I decided the writing to look Egyptian is because I'm very interested in Egyptian architecture, and I love to collaborate it into the stories I write. So, I'll see everyone next chapter, which will be up shortly. I'm working on my stories one by one individually until they all get finished, so, I'm not stopping until this one is done XD