Disclaimer: I own nothing written about in this story.

Pursuit

AN: If you're not familiar with the movie here, then feel free to look up the characters on the Disney Wikia as I introduce them.

Chapter Seven – of a Scamp

Why was it, every time they went to a world that changed their forms it had to present them with a glorious flash of light, a fantastic little coma and a fully loaded splitting headache? Terra had to ponder this as he stared at two dark brown paws splayed out in front of his face-...er... snout. He hadn't even bothered to raise his head from off the ground to inspect his new form. He simply lay there and accepted the change without a fuss and tried not to make his nagging headache any worse, though the bright sunlight above wasn't helping, nor was the high-pitched birdsong in the trees. The last thing he remembered on the ship was arguing with his blond co-pilot about his lousy choice for their first world.

Although Terra could readily accept the change, he honestly didn't care for worlds that altered his form. Whereas it was sometimes fun to romp around in an animal body, it could also be really inconvenient at times. Ven, on the other hand, seemed to have the opposite opinion on the matter and actually enjoyed running around in another form. Speaking of Ven, where was that little (well he wasn't exactly little anymore) hooligan anyway? Slowly raising his head so as not to aggravate the ache further, Terra surveyed the area for his blond companion as he had a few choice imprecations to direct his way.

After glancing around for a moment, Terra quickly realized it would prove harder to recognize his friend than he originally thought. He lay in the middle of a grassy yard, with bushes and fences all around as well as a house and a stone path leading from its threshold to a metal gate that was currently ajar. There were a few furry bodies lying around and Terra assumed they were his companions, still sleeping off their forced "coma". He felt his ears tug forward when one of the bodies stirred and groaned.

Maybe it had just been a really long time since he had been turned into an animal, but his ears felt unusually large. Terra idly pondered the matter as he moved closer to his waking companion. He knew it was Ven by the sight of his golden fur and shoulder armor, which made him aware of the cold weight on his own left shoulder.

While waiting for his friend to waken completely, Terra inspected the other pelted bodies more closely and did a headcount. With an odd tip of his head and a twist around to scrutinize his own person, Terra realized they were all dogs, even Angelo, which, well, wasn't really surprising. The only other two bodies began to stir as well, both of them with black fur, whom Terra guessed were Rinoa and Zack. That left Aqua and Eraq unaccounted for, but they couldn't be far, he reasoned, and he could feel no darkness or dread in the area. He'd set out to find them as soon as the others were on their feet- er paws.

Terra sat down and aimed a pointed glare down at his friend when Ven finally raised his head to regard him fully. "That you, Terra?"

"Ven," Terra growled with annoyance. "Didn't I ask you: 'this isn't one of those worlds is it?' and you said 'Oh no Terra, I would never bring Eraq to one like that.'?"

"Oh," Ven said with a sheepish grin. "I thought you meant something else."

"What in the world did you think I meant?" Zack and Rin were sitting up now, their curious attention drawn to the bickering friends.

"I-it doesn't matter now, does it? We're here now, so let's have some fun!" Ven was on his paws and raring to go as if he wasn't suffering from any headache whatsoever.

"Doesn't matter?" Terra nearly snarled, indignant. "Ven, when I get a hold of you-!"

"Hey Dad! Look at me! I'm a dog!" a little voice suddenly exclaimed from the direction of the open gate. Terra looked up just in time to see a tiny, charcoal-blue body scamper in his direction before said body tumbled right into his forelegs. Terra's ire evaporated in that instant and he smirked down at his son.

"Not quite, Eraq," Terra replied as the pup sat back to try and shake off his unceremonious impact. "Look at you, more of a runt than in your human form." He leaned down and nosed the little scrap fondly.

"Aww, Dad, don't be mean!" Eraq whined and reared up to place both forepaws on his father's snout, eliciting a deep, throaty chuckle out of him.

Terra looked up again to see Aqua appear through the gate, well, it was a dog he assumed to be Aqua since she too donned both armor pieces. She had distinctive blue fur with white-blue markings and she followed in Eraq's wake with a curious attention to all the canines that she no doubt guessed were her companions. Her ears were triangular and erect and her tail curled curiously over her back, much unlike the rest of them, although with a glance down to their son, his tail seemed to be doing the same thing as it waved back and forth excitedly.

She drew beside him and sat down with a curious tip of her head. "Terra?" she questioned and failed to stifle a snigger when he nodded. "Your ears, they're so big."

Terra only sneered at her in response. He tried to find something awry about her new form in turn but honestly, she looked rather striking. Although Terra had never really been fond of canines, he had to admit that Aqua's dog form was rather pretty, though he insisted to himself that it was due to her blue fur, originating from her blue hair that he adored so much. He was still working up a reply when a noisy, high-pitched yapping erupted from the house, and he felt every hair on his body tense up.

Terra whipped his head around to see a small black dog emerge from a flap in the door as it continued to bark indignantly at all the dogs in its yard. It halted on the porch to survey the intruders before launching itself down the few steps to the path and then promptly, fearlessly, marched right up to Terra with a dutiful expression.

Everyone blinked with surprise when the little black fur-ball, who was about the same size as Eraq, began to speak in a most demanding, thickly accented, male tone. "Now just what are ya all doin' in me yard? I've halv'a mind to run you all out!"

Terra was taken back, surprised by how the little dog addressed him and his friends, most of whom were ten times his size. He was left speechless, his maw hanging open and his ears switched back as though he had just been admonished like a child. Thankfully, his wife stepped in, her diplomatic charisma always a boon. "I'm very sorry sir, we meant no disrespect. You see, we're traveling and only stopped here to rest for a moment."

The little dog turned to her, his eyes seeming to light up at her words. Apparently all it took to placate his flustered rant were a few respectful words. "Ah, that's how it 'tis then?" He marched around a bit, glanced over the odd group and turned back to Aqua and Terra with a stern expression. "I'll be having some proper introductions then! The name is Jock, I'm a Scottish Terrier. Now I'll be havin' all of you line up."

Terra cocked his head with a mix of confusion and surprise when the others all did as they were bid, all lining up beside Aqua and sitting obediently like children attempting to appease a stern parent. He glanced to see Aqua smirking with amusement beside him and Eraq sitting between them with the most curious expression Terra thought he had ever seen him with.

Jock trotted back over to Terra, obviously choosing to begin with him. "Alright sonny, we'll start with you."

"Um, Terra," he replied hesitantly, feeling oddly uncomfortable under the little dog's scrutiny.

"Aye, a German Shepherd ye are," Jock responded, eying Terra warily and carried on as though he were some sort of expert on the various breeds of dogs. "Strong, and fearless. Though easily provoked and prone to recklessness."

Terra had raised his head proudly at the first comment, but lowered quickly with the last, his ears switched back as Aqua and the others sniggered beside him. Not paying the disturbance any mind, Jock promptly moved on to Aqua, somehow overlooking the small pup sitting between his parents. "My name is Aqua," the blue dog answered when Jock peered up at her in question.

"A fitting name for a Siberian Husky, lassie. Intelligent and headstrong. A leader you are. And might I add, very beautiful?"

Aqua grinned sheepishly and glanced with a shrug at her husband; all of her traits seemed positive. "What about me!" the pup between them piped up. "I'm Eraq."

Jock gasped grandly, obviously only just then noting the youngster. "Why, you've got a bonnie little cub!" he exclaimed and shot both Aqua and Terra a knowing look before returning his intent gaze back down to Eraq. "Aye laddie, you be a... well, you be a..." He seemed at loss as to how to proceed and glanced up to his parents for assistance on the matter, but they merely shrugged. "Well," the terrier cleared his throat. "You're a bit of both. Nothin' to be ashamed of though, some of the best dogs I know are mixed breeds."

Jock hurriedly moved on to the next introduction, leaving Aqua and Terra to share a smirk as Eraq waved his fluffy black-blue tail happily; he was one of the best dogs!

"Ventus," the blond one greeted pleasantly. "But you can call me Ven, Mister."

"It's just "Jock" laddie," the terrier corrected with an easy smile. "And Ven, I believe ye'r a Golden Retriever. Energetic, friendly, extremely loyal and always on the move."

Ven raised his head with a contemplative tip as his tail wagged slowly. He could live with that deduction.

Jock moved on. "Angelo," the brown and white dog said, her silky, kind voice drawing everyone's apt attention, especially Rin's as she had never heard her dog talk before and it was naturally unnerving for her. "Can we hurry this along gramps? I've got business with the cub."

Jock sputtered in response, his eyes seeming to glow indignantly. "Now see here lassie! Just because you're an Australian Shepherd doesn't mean you can get snippy with me! Highly intelligent, but no patience! None at all!" Jock huffed and moved on.

Rinoa was still speechless when Jock halted in front of her, expecting the introduction, but she simply stared at Angelo with her jaw hanging open in surprise. Sure, she had always bragged about how smart her Angelo was, but hearing her speak, and speak fluently, was just amazing, and rather disconcerting if she thought about it for too long. "Uh, um, I'm Rinoa... Rin for short," she finally answered after Jock had objectively cleared his throat.

"Well then lassie, a pretty Belgian Sheepdog you are. Determined, amiable, and a good head on your shoul-" Jock's monolog abruptly cut off when he glanced in Zack's direction. "You-you're a-a..."

The terrier's stuttering didn't seem to phase Zack as he took it as a sign that it was his turn and held himself erect and proud, taking Jock's pause as a cue to fill in the blanks himself. "Charming? Handsome? Heroic?"

"A wolf!" Jock barked with terror as he scuttled backward and cowered behind Terra. "That's a wolf! Why would you ever allow a wild savage like that into your pack? Eat you alive he will!"

"Zack?" Terra snorted. "He's harmless." He couldn't understand what the fuss was about. To him, Zack looked no different from Rin really, aside from their obvious size difference that is.

"Oh come on!" Zack whined in protest and Rin sniggered beside him. "I'm not harmless, I'm a hero!"

"Hero?" Jock repeated mockingly, though he peered around Terra's forelegs warily. "Wolves aren't heroes, they're monsters!"

"Now hang on a minute!" Zack snapped and moved closer, sitting back down again when Jock looked ready to dart away in terror. "I may be a beastly stud with amazing fighting skills, but I'm no monster!" The wolf looked up to each of his friends pleadingly. "Come on guys, tell him I'm not gonna eat him."

"Alright Zack, lie down and hold still," Terra told him and bent down to whisper into his son's ear.

Zack tipped his head curiously but did as he was bid and lay down, waiting. He watched as Eraq nodded and darted for the wolf with a wild mischief, causing Jock to sputter in horror. "Wh-what are you doin'? Are ye mad, sendin' you're pup off to certain death?"

Terra merely smirked down at the ranting little dog before turning back to the humorous scene as Zack proceeded to endure the abuse of the little black-blue furball that was Eraq. The pup had launched himself onto Zack's shoulders and was currently tugging at the wolf's big, black ears. Zack winced and whined and tried to twist around to mouth at the youngster but made no real attempt at retaliation, causing Jock to pull out of hiding in wonderment. "He's- he's not tearing him to pieces!"

"You didn't really think I'd send my son off to get shredded did you?" Terra questioned. "Zack is a friend, wolf or not, he wouldn't hurt anyone unless they threatened us."

Zack had rolled over onto his side and was trying to fend off Eraq's boisterous assault as the little pup leaped from ribcage to head and back again. "Aye, laddie, you've made your point well enough," Jock admitted with a nod and a wiry smile.

"My turn next," Angelo grumbled in Zack's direction, her head and ears pressed down as the jealousy rolled off her in waves at seeing Eraq play with another dog.

The two continued to romp around, unaffected by their audience until a shrill voice split the air. "Jock! Oh Jock!" Ears switched back and heads turned toward the open gate as a small ocher colored dog burst into the yard with a sense of urgency in her voice and expression. She was slightly bigger than Jock, with tan markings on her muzzle and chest while her trailing, fluffy ears were a light brown that matched her eyes.

"Why Lady, what's the matter?" Jock was on all fours in that instant, looking like he was ready to bolt in any direction if the newcomer asked him to.

Lady briefly glanced around at the others curiously but quickly focused back on the little Scottish Terrier in front of her. Her troubles obviously too important to bother with proper introductions. "It's Scamp, he's run off and we can't find him!"

"What's that?" Jock tipped his head intently. "Your little rascal's gone missing? Well let's be off then! I'll round up Trusty and we'll head out immediately!"

Before the two house pets headed for the gate, Aqua stepped toward them, her ears flipped forward with interest. "Are you looking for your son?" The question was more or less rhetorical, as it really didn't take a genius to deduce who they were talking about, especially for a mother. Like some sort of universal wisdom, she could recognize the look of panic in Lady's eyes. "We could help you search for him."

Lady's attention snapped to Aqua, then to her companions, surprised, as if she were just then truly noticing them. "Who are you?"

"We're just travelers passing through town, and Jock was nice enough to share his yard for us to rest," Aqua explained, deciding not to delve into introductions as the others all moved to line up beside her.

Lady hesitated in her answer, glancing to Jock for reassurance. The little terrier gave a confident nod and smiled, a silent confirmation that he trusted this ragtag pack of dogs. Lady turned back to offer Aqua a pleasant though frazzled smile. "Yes, please, I need all the help I can get."

Terra turned to Aqua. "We should split into pairs then. We can cover more ground that way." He looked up to the sky, assessing the morning sun's location. "Let's meet back here when the sun is at its highest point."

Lady and Jock both nodded in agreement, as though they regularly used the sun's location to determine the time of day. "What's he look like?" Eraq suddenly questioned as he leaped in front of Lady with a curious expression.

Lady's head snapped back with surprise at the pup's appearance but her expression quickly softened and she answered. "He's about your size, with gray fur, floppy ears and a blue collar."

"Right, got it," Terra said as he started for the gate. "Let's go Aqua."

Aqua huffed but followed after him, shooting over her shoulder at the frantic Cocker. "Don't worry, we'll find him." She halted at the gate and waited for Eraq to catch up as Terra trotted onward down the street.

Lady and Jock padded after them. "Watch out for wild dogs, there's a lot of them in the city!"

Rinoa moved to follow suit, looking at Ven and Zack pointedly. "You two go together, I'll search with Angelo."

They both nodded in agreement. "Come on then wolf," Ven teased and lopped through the gate behind Rin. "Try to keep up!"

"Hey, hey, I have a name you know!" Zack barked back excitedly and ran at the retriever's tail.

"Whatever you say, "hero"." Ven rolled his eyes and tipped his head up, sniffing the air as he turned down the only street the others hadn't taken.

"That's right," Zack replied, head and tail erect as he trotted along arrogantly. "Finding lost kid's, totally heroic."

Terra sniffed the air in an attempt to pick up the lost pup's scent, or any dog smell for that matter. For one thing, he wasn't used to sifting out smells with a snout that could pick up virtually everything in existence, and secondly, he had no clue what the lost pup smelled like. Sighing with frustration, he sat back onto his haunches on the sidewalk and gave Aqua a defeated look. "What's he look like again?"

Before she could reply Eraq yipped up at them impatiently. "Dad, he's gray and he's got floppy ears!"

"Oh, right," Terra said with a chuckle and ruffled his son's head with one paw. "Good thing you're here to remember the details, runt."

Eraq growled irritably in response but playfully grabbed the offending paw in his mouth, tugging with a gentle pressure. "Aww come on Dad, we got work to do!"

Huffing at their antics, though unable to fight back a smile, Aqua turned her attention elsewhere, ears perked, black nose twitching as she scanned the opposite sidewalk. It was hard to smell anything past the thick, acrid stench of the black pavement neatly cutting its way between the sidewalks, where various large vehicles stormed by at a brisk pace, they too spitting out foul air. She and Terra had quickly given Eraq a lecture about such dangers, strictly charging him to stay nearby at all times and as far away from those huge metal contraptions as possible.

Aqua filtered out any further bickering her husband and son were engaged in while her blue eyes were drawn to another dog across the street. It was a scraggly thing as it wandered around, and any human passerby gave it a wide berth and an unhindered look of contempt. "Maybe he's seen Scamp. You two wait here, I'll go ask him."

Before Terra could argue with her, she had already padded down the walkway to a spot where a woman and her child looked like they were waiting to cross. As Aqua guessed, the thrumming vehicles halted to allow woman and child safe passage across the street. She followed right behind them, keeping out of their sight and hopped onto the curb on the other side without a problem. Terra watched intently as she approached the stray warily, but he wasn't particularly worried; Aqua could take care of herself.

He had been so keen on making sure she got across the black divide however, that he failed to notice when Eraq wandered away from his side. Aqua was thoroughly engrossed in conversation with the stray when she absently glanced across to Terra, a look of shock and dread overcame her features as her gaze moved further on down the road. She barked a sudden call of alarm to Terra as she frantically searched for a quick way to cross the traffic again.

He couldn't hear what she said over the hum of the cars, but he didn't need to. His own eyes went wide when he realized what had her so upset. Eraq was nowhere in his line of vision and there were suddenly many more people coming and going on the sidewalk, the traffic in the street also swelled and the world seemed to grow more temperamental. "Eraq!" Terra barked out, panic starting to take hold. He didn't care that a number of people jumped away with a start while others stopped to stare at him.

He could faintly hear Aqua barking again, no doubt desperately trying to get back across again. He tried to block it out and closed his eyes for an instant, taking a deep breath to calm his frantic mind. Trying to find someone else's kid was one thing, losing your own was quite another. A moment of clarity peaked through the chaotic adrenalin racing through his veins and he lowered his snout to the pavement. Eraq's scent was fresh and he could follow it even though there was an endless crowd of people he had to sift through. "Eraq!" Terra wailed as he took off in pursuit, dodging one person after another, his pace quickening.

He wasn't sure where Aqua was anymore, if she had found a way to cross then she would catch up eventually. Eraq was his priority, if he wandered into the street... Well, he didn't want to think about it. For the moment the pup's scent trail stayed on the path of the sidewalk, weaving in and out and around countless pedestrians.

Terra had lost count how many times the people he nearly tumbled over yelled and muttered at him, but he didn't care. They were merely obstacles in his path, Eraq's scent trail as visible to him as a trail of green smoke. It was an absent thought, but he also noticed another scent along the trail and he pictured it to be red in his mind, though it seemed unimportant and he dismissed it as he leaped around a large crowd of people, unintentionally stepping into the street and causing a car to swerve slightly with a screech, followed by the driver's irate shouting. Terra merely flipped his ears back in reply, pressing headlong back into his pursuit.

He was panting now, whether due to stress or exhaustion he wasn't sure, and he was amazed that his son could even maintain such a healthy lead. When they left Jock's yard, Eraq had nearly tripped over his own paws but after a bit of practice he was able to keep up with them easily enough so long as his parents kept their gait to a mild trot. Terra was feeling both perplexed and astonished. How could such a small pup move so fast? Then suddenly, realization clicked in his mind. This was Eraq's first time changed into an animal, and unless one is warned or trained beforehand, the animal's instincts tend to take over. The red scent trail suddenly took on a new meaning.

Eraq was chasing something.

Terra surged forward with a heightened sense of urgency. He had to catch up before it was too late. Relief flooded his mind when he noticed a disturbance in the crowd further up, a sign that he was catching up. Desperate to reach his son, he started barking frantically, causing the crowd to split and move out of his way. It worked, but his blood froze when he caught a glimpse of the small black-blue bundle. Eraq was chasing an orange cat, hot on its heels and yapping incessantly, both of them heading straight for a busy intersection.

"Hey, Angelo, do you know where you're going?" Rinoa asked as she followed her faithful companion through what appeared, and smelled, like a food court, with various tables and chairs placed all around like a maze.

Angelo lifted her head briefly to reply before returning to her task of attempting to track their target. "I think so, but it's hard to know for sure, since I don't really know his scent."

Rin staggered a bit in her trot. She wasn't sure if she could ever get used to having Angelo answer her directly. The act of asking her faithful friend a question wasn't unheard of or even unusual, she did so often actually. It was receiving a coherent reply that unnerved her the most. "So, all this time, you could understand everything I was saying? I mean, I knew you were smart, but-"

Angelo halted in her stride and gave her mistress an intent look. "Most dogs don't understand human words, but some of us can learn patterns, and eventually we don't even need to hear what you're saying. In my case, I can sense your feelings and simply guess what your saying for the most part. If I guess right, people say I'm smart and praise me, if I guess wrong..." She shrugged. "Well, I'm just dog after all, and in the end I still get a pat on the head."

"I see," Rin replied with a smile and a light chuckle.

"Come on," Angelo prompted and headed onward once more. "The sooner we find this "Scamp" the sooner I can get back to my cub."

Rin followed, her head tipped in a curious amusement. "What is with you and Eraq anyway? You know he's not really your cub."

Angelo's pace faltered but she didn't meet her master's gaze. "He's a lot like you. He has a rare, unhindered love for people, but is far too trusting." Her gaze darkened as she trotted onward. "He needs to be protected. Always."

Rinoa cocked her head, confused by her familiar's cryptic words. She wanted to inquire further but Angelo sped into a run and it was all Rin could do to keep up.

A horrible screeching noise erupted behind him, followed by a crash or two and frankly, Terra didn't want to look back to see what sort of damage he had just caused. The furious shouting in his wake made him feel bad enough.

Somehow, against all odds, both his son and the cat he chased had crossed the busy intersection in the very instant all the cars seemed to pause. Even though he was only a short distance behind them, the vehicles began to move when he had reached the edge of the sidewalk. Regardless of the danger, Terra had launched himself into the fray and now he could only imagine the chaotic destruction his recklessness had caused.

He pelted onward, never looking back, and watched as his son turned down a narrow alley in pursuit of his feline quarry. Terra burst through the alley and skidded to a halt on the other side.

The orange tabby could be seen scrambling up a tall wooden fence while Eraq stood stock still in the middle of a deserted dirt road. Terra's eyes widened when he seen what had his son so paralyzed. A monstrous dog, ugly as sin, stood before the pup, glaring down at him like he was about to swallow him whole. "Eraq!" Terra called and padded closer warily, relieved when his voice seemed to pull the pup out of his frozen state.

"Dad!" Eraq tumbled straight to the safety of his father's paws, trembling and weak with exhaustion. "I'm sorry Dad," he whimpered. "I don't know what happened, I saw the cat, and everything went fuzzy after that."

"It's ok Eraq, you're safe now." Terra lowered his head to nuzzle the cub reassuringly and smirked when Eraq leaned against one of his forepaws heavily.

"That you're whelp?" the huge dog thundered angrily as he stepped closer. "I've half a mind to shred him, the way he came charging into my territory!"

"Then let's just be glad you don't have a whole mind," Terra muttered, earning a snicker from his son.

"What was that?" the massive dog barked, eyes seething.

"Nothing," Terra lied, clearing his throat. "I apologize for my son's intrusion. But he's still young and doesn't know about boundaries yet."

The other dog moved even closer, his stinking, short muzzle a mere whisker from Terra's. "Every dog should know about boundaries, especially mine! No one crosses Reggie's territory without paying some sort of price!"

Terra recoiled a bit, his upper lip pulled back in disgust at the foul breath in his face. He assumed this monstrosity was speaking in third-person because he wasn't all that bright. And, although he didn't think it would do any good, he tried again to reason with him. "But like I said, he didn't know, and I can assure you, he won't do it again."

"You're right!" Reggie snarled viciously. "I'll make sure he doesn't!"

Terra was ready for the assault when it came, he crouched, grabbed Eraq by the scruff and leaped back in one fluid motion. Since Reggie had been aiming his snapping maw at the pup, he overcompensated and when Eraq was no longer there, the giant dog's jaw snapped empty air and crashed with the ground.

Terra landed lightly on all fours and gently set his trembling son down. He was surprised to see Aqua burst out of the alley and onto the dirt road nearby. "Eraq!" she howled with relief and was at Terra's side in an instant, proceeding to bathe the pup in a furious round of licks and whines. "Don't you ever wander off like that again!"

"I'm sorry Mom!" he cried while trying to endure the punishment of her tongue in more ways than one. "I didn't mean to."

Terra stepped away from their reunion, his attention drawn back to Reggie as the huge dog had recovered and was watching the three of them with piercing red eyes. His lips were pulled back in a horrific snarl, his hulking shoulders bunched and prepped for a lunge. He was about to unleash an all out attack and Terra stepped forth to meet the challenge.

"Come on Zack! Keep up, or I'll leave you behind!" Ven howled as he raced down a deserted street at a breakneck pace, Zack pounding the earth only a stride or two behind him.

"Whatever Ven, I haven't even started yet!"

Somehow, they had momentarily forgotten about their mission, rather they had turned it into a competition. One thing was certain though, they were covering a lot of ground.

Zack put on an extra burst of speed and pulled ahead and grinned arrogantly, causing Ven to growl in frustration. So consumed by their posturing Zack barely noticed a black streak cross their path up ahead and he darted for it without thinking, his unfamiliar animal instincts taking over. "Cat!"

"Huh?" Ven faltered but recovered quickly in order to keep pace with his friend. "H-hang on a second Zack! You shouldn't-" His words died away as they dashed into a small, dead-end corridor and both had to skid to a halt to keep from slamming into a row of trash cans. Countless, glaring eyes turned to them in that instant, causing Ven to take a wary step backward. "Um, we uh, probably shouldn't bother them."

Zack gulped and began his slow retreat as well when a menacing hiss resonated from all the hostile felines at once. A furious scrapping startled the cats and they all looked up to see an orange tabby emerge from the other side of the dead-end fence. He was panting and looked thoroughly frazzled. He took one look at the dogs and let loose an unearthly yowl of rage, causing both Ven and Zack to turn tail and scramble back out of the alley, nearly tripping over each other in the process. There was a universal clamor of yowling and hissing as the entirety of the alley erupted and cats poured out as if a jar of jelly beans had just been tipped over.

"Why are we running from cats?!" Zack screeched to the wind and running like mad.

"Because there's an army of them, and you did something to offend them!" Ven howled back, his tone a mixture of panic and hilarity.

Zack wasn't sure how long they had been running, but a glance back and he found a new incentive to run a bit faster. The horde of cats were still in pursuit and they were gaining, not to mention furious. "Cats are scary!" he nearly cried.

"Then why did you chase one?" Ven admonished, his eyes laughing.

"I don't know!" Zack howled. "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time!"

They were reaching a more populated area of the city, and Zack noticed that some of the cats were giving up, but the more determined kept on gaining. Pretty soon they'd be clawing his tail to shreds, he just knew it!

"What are you two doing?!" Rin's voice was like a soothing salvation even though she sounded angry. Her and Angelo appeared further down the street, but if Zack expected them to save his sorry hide, he was wrong. The furious felines only seemed to grow more enraged by the sight of more dogs.

Rin and Angelo joined the retreating ranks and ran at Zack and Ven's side as more cats seemed to seep out of every nook and cranny in town. "What have you done?" Angelo questioned, her ears pricked as her eyes scanned around at the situation quizzically.

"I chased one cat into an alley and they all freaked out!" Zack explained with a whine and scowled at Ven when the blond dog started laughing uncontrollably.

"Zack," Rin sighed and shook her head dismally as she ran. "When will you ever learn?"

"I'm sorry!" the wolf whined. "I couldn't help myself!"

"I don't think this is Zack's fault," Angelo mused as she pelted beside her mistress. "I think he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You think so?" Rin wondered dubiously with a glance back at the raging mass of fur, claws and teeth behind them. "Some kind of feline revolution then?"

Angelo didn't answer but she was the first to act when Ven suddenly howled in pain as a cat had finally caught up and latched itself to the Golden Retriever's flank. Without breaking stride, Angelo leaped, pulled the cat off and nudged Ven back to a trot all in enough time to keep them ahead of the main horde.

"Nice job Angelo!" Rin praised as Zack laughed at Ven's expense, only to yelp when another cat caught one of his black paws with its dagger-like claws. Rin ignored their antics and tried to focus on running for her life.

She noticed with a wry humor that they were entering a much more populated area than before, and every person in the vicinity had to stop what they were doing to watch the unbelievable scene passing right in front of them. Cars had to screech to a halt and some people even pulled out their shiny gadgets to record the frenzied parade.

"How are we getting out of this one?" Rin asked, her panting breath beginning to come out in labored gasps.

"We'll have to lose as many as possible, then turn and fight," Angelo told her. "That or find some reinforcements."

"Reinforcements? You mean Terra and Aqua?"

Angelo offered a sidelong glance. "Any dogs will do."

"Then let's find some!" Rin gasped. "I don't think I'll have any breath left to fight."

Terra heard a furious caterwaul some distance away but he flicked his big brown ears dismissively, focusing rather on the opponent he faced.

Reggie's stance shifted and he lunged, his huge, deadly maw snapped over nothing but air as Terra practically danced around him.

Although Terra was tall by human standards, this massive tan canine towered over his dog form. However, after only a few moments going head to head with the monstrosity, he was grateful for the size difference. Reggie was all bulk and was as big and clumsy as he was stupid, his fighting skills untrained and unrefined. Apparently, most dogs must have submitted to him without a fight, his size alone enough to scare them off.

But Terra knew different. He had learned long ago that size alone was not enough to defeat a skilled opponent. He didn't bother to summon his keyblade; he could easily topple this beast without it.

Reggie roared furiously and stomped around, hoping to intimidate his adversary with his thunderous footfalls. But Terra didn't flinch, instead, he swung around and nipped at the massive dog's left rear leg, causing him to howl in irritation more than pain. Reggie whipped around and snapped his trap-like jaw in Terra's direction but missed again.

Terra was already on his other side and threw his shoulder into the beast's flank, confusing him more than actually causing any damage. When Reggie turned to snap once again, Terra bolted around, nipping the same heel as before. He repeated this process over and over again and Reggie never seemed to catch on, he simply kept on blindly striking out, hoping to get lucky.

Finally, his weakened rear leg buckled under his own weight and he howled in agony. Terra finished with a fierce tackle and Reggie collapsed to the ground in a cloud of dirt and grit, no doubt with a few broken ribs and a fractured leg.

Terra felt a sudden pang of guilt in his chest. Not because he had defeated his antagonist but because he had exposed Eraq to the violent scene. His son was already shaken, after witnessing the fight he was no doubt terrified. But when Terra turned to glance in their direction, Eraq was simply watching with a bright interest as he leaned against his mother's foreleg. He supposed he shouldn't really be surprised though, in Eraq's young mind, his father was a hero and his mother's presence signified an unbreakable protection.

Terra turned back to the crippled Reggie, who was emitting a low menacing growl. "Again, I'm sorry for trespassing," he told him, once more attempting to be diplomatic. "But you must have known I'd do whatever it took to protect my family."

Reggie didn't reply, his glare just grew sharper, his growling more intense until he was snarling with an incoherent rage.

Terra retreat a few steps and frowned deeply. There was simply no reasoning with a creature so base and angry. His head snapped up to attention when his sensitive ears picked up a muffled padding of countless paws on the dirt road.

"Hey! Who said you could waltz in here and thrash my second in command?" A tall, well toned black dog with brown markings and a stub for a tail trotted over to Reggie and gave him a sniff. Terra retreated even more when he seen what else had approached. He counted at least a dozen or more of what appeared to be a pack of wild dogs and they all halted some distance away, awaiting their leader's command.

Terra raised his head and tail high, hoping to feign a display of confidence. "I didn't know I needed a reason to defend myself. He attacked me."

"What?" The black dog's head snapped up, quick as a snake. He obviously wasn't used to being disrespected. "You must be new around here, stranger."

"Get him Buster!" Reggie snarled as he attempted to stand but collapsed back to the ground in pain. "Shred him!"

Buster didn't even give his Second another glance, instead, his eyes had locked on to Terra as though he had spotted new prey. "This is my territory, and you're invading. My dogs have every right to attack you."

Terra continued his retreat, not due to intimidation, but rather, he was growing increasingly more uncomfortable with the wild pack's proximity and the distance separating him from Eraq and Aqua. Buster advanced and matched him step for step, his dark head lowered to strike at any moment, his erect, triangular ears switched back aggressively while emitting a threatening growl.

Terra's blood ran cold when Buster suddenly perked up, all aggression seeming to evaporate as he switched targets and trotted over to Aqua with his head raised arrogantly. "Well would you look at this? A hot dame just waiting to be picked up." He offered her a devilish grin, neatly overlooking the pup at her paws. "Couldn't have come at a better time, since my best girl up and left awhile ago."

Terra moved to intercept but Buster kept moving, making it impossible for him to place himself between his family and danger. "I'm afraid she's spoken for." He knew Aqua didn't approve of being talked about like a piece of property, but he felt like the situation called for it since she couldn't exactly launch herself into combat with Eraq needing her protection at the moment. Terra felt the hair along his spine lift unintentionally, his lips drawn back in a sneer. "Move on, friend."

"Friend?" Buster snorted and half-circled Aqua and Eraq menacingly. "I think you need to take a look around, stranger. There are no friends here."

"It's called being diplomatic," Terra growled a warning, his upper lip curling even more to show his gleaming white daggers. "I promised someone I'd try it out, doesn't seem to be working though." He chanced a glance to his wife, surprised by how undiplomatic she appeared at the moment. Her head had lowered closer to Eraq, her ears were switched back and she hummed a dangerous growl as her eyes followed Buster's every move. It wasn't just her demeanor though, rather, it puzzled him as to how there didn't seem to be even a single flake remaining of the outstanding peacekeeper his wife was known for. Terra flicked his ears dismissively. He guessed she was just fighting with those animal instincts as well as her normal protective nature for Eraq.

"Diplomacy!" Buster laughed, jerking Terra's attention back to the arrogant antagonist. "Since I'm feeling generous today, I tell you what. I'll give you two options. Leave you're pretty little husky with us and I'll let you and your mongrel go unharmed. Or, We kill both of you and take her anyway."

Terra took a moment to scrutinized him. So he had noticed Eraq. This was an intelligent, crafty animal, not like Reggie at all, and it was easy to see why he was the leader in the territory. But Terra could already sense his weakness; the arrogance in his heart was practically tangible, and it would be his downfall. The problem though, was Buster's pack of wild dogs loitering nearby, and was it his imagination or had they moved closer?

"Ah-ah," Buster sounded, shaking his head as though admonishing an unruly pup. Apparently he took Terra's roving gaze as a sign he was planning to run. "Don't bother, my dogs will have you pinned before you reach the alley."

Before Terra could reply that he was by no means such a coward, a sudden commotion exploded onto the scene a few hundred feet down the street. "Terra!" Ven howled frantically, prolonging the last syllable as was his habit when excited. He was headed in their direction, pelting headlong as though his life depended on it.

Every dog turned in Ven's direction as Zack, Rin and Angelo all slid onto the dirt road behind him. Needless to say, no one was expecting to see a legion of felines tumble out afterward, all of them yowling and spitting furiously.

Terra was genuinely surprised when Buster's pack, as if by some unspoken, absolute alliance, launched themselves toward the oncoming army of cats, all of them barking and howling a battle cry.

Buster himself held back, glaring at the disturbance and watching as though it were below him to participate.

The cats were thrown into a writhing mass of confusion when Buster's pack thrust themselves into the swath of fur and claws. Ven and the others turned and joined in, turning the tide and forcing the army of felines to retreat with a collective hiss. "Good riddance!" Zack huffed. "That'll teach you to mess with a hero!" He followed the others as they congregated around Aqua, unwittingly forcing Buster to move away. They were completely oblivious to the tense situation they just walked in on, though Angelo was studying the hostile postures with a wary eye.

"Hey, thanks for your help guys, I thought those awful cats were gonna chase us forever," Ven said, giving the pack of wild dogs a grateful nod. None of them said anything in return, rather, they lined up in a half-circle, blocking off the closest alley. "Er." Ven cringed, and muttered to Zack, "Am I missing something? Didn't they just help us?" Zack shrugged without an answer, his eyes popping around as he tried to understand the situation as well.

Terra looked up to Buster, his confidence renewed tenfold. With the arrival of his friends, even though they appeared exhausted, their chances of escaping unharmed had increased dramatically. "This is my pack," he began, head and tail held high. "We are traveling, and we're willing to leave without bloodshed."

"Hah!" Buster scoffed. "You seem to be confused. A few reinforcements won't help you. You're still outnumbered."

"I think you're the one who's confused," Terra retorted as he turned to Zack and placed a paw on one of his shoulders. "I have a blood-thirsty wolf on my side."

Buster's eyes widened slightly at that, and there was a collective gasp among his ranks as they all looked to one another for reassurance. At first, Zack gave an incredulously innocent pout, but when Terra nodded suggestively, Zack fell into the act of the vicious animal he was thought to be. Lips drawn back, head low, hackles flaring, throat vibrating with a snarl. Even Terra took a step back in apprehension.

Buster's dogs began murmuring and cowered when Zack turned on them with his savage portrayal. "So. Who do I get to taste first?"

Terra, Ven and Rin all shared a slight look of embarrassment but remained silent as Zack continued his attempt to intimidate the other dogs. Aqua and Angelo were too busy guarding Eraq to pay him any mind.

Terra looked back to Buster, expectant, but the black-tan dog was merely watching the display with a hard scrutiny. He didn't seem to be falling for the bluff very well.

In the end, it didn't matter though, because every canine suddenly looked to the alleyway that connected to that busy intersection from before. There were numerous sirens wailing among a clamor of other commotion, consisting of doors slamming and people shouting indignantly. "It's the dog-catcher!" one of Buster's dogs cried in panic, causing his peers to grow even more agitated than before.

"Alright fine!" Buster barked with a sneer. "Everyone, fall back." To Terra he said, "as for you, you're off the hook this time. But the next time you step into my territory, you're all dead." His eyes pointedly passed over Aqua briefly before turning to lead his pack away.

Angelo paced nervously as the noise in the alley grew louder. "We should leave now as well, before we're caught."

Terra nodded and surveyed his companions' condition. They all looked exhausted and he could feel his own legs shaking, his paws tingling tiredly, but he had to lead them back to Jock's yard, back to someplace safe. He looked to Eraq and Aqua. "Can you carry him for now?" There was more clatter in the alley; they had to move fast and Eraq looked too shaken to keep up.

Aqua made no reply but bent down and to clamp her maw around the pup's shoulders. He made no attempt to complain except for a tiny yelp of surprise when she lifted him and took off down the street.

Terra bolted to run along side while the others quickly moved to flank them. He hoped the noise erupting from the alleyway didn't follow them, but he wasn't about to turn and find out.

Terra dozed on the grass, enjoying the evening breeze and Aqua's rhythmic breathing beside him. She lay there, pressed against him with Eraq curled into a neat little ball between her forelegs, his head pressing into her chest fur for warmth.

The rest of their companions lay exhausted and sprawled on the grass as well, all of them either dozing like himself or in Zack's case, snoring quite obnoxiously.

They had returned to Jock's yard only to find out that Scamp had returned home, followed by his cute little girlfriend named Angel.

Terra and the others hadn't stayed to witness the reunion. They were all just too tired, though equally relieved that Lady's son had returned safely.

They had all decided to rest and relax on a secluded hilltop nearby, waiting for the Gummi ship to make one of its routine landings. Since Terra didn't have a pocket for the remote to call it, they had to rely on the ship's programing to hone in on their biological signatures before they could leave.

No one complained one bit though. They were all so drained that when the camouflaged ship finally did touch down, no one was popping up to leave.

Terra yawned and leaned closer to Aqua's warmth, his ears twitching when she muttered something under her breath. "Aqua?" he murmured curiously, keeping his voice low so as not wake their son. "You ok?"

"Too close," she whispered as if to the night air and not his prompt.

"Hey." Terra nudged her head with his own. "Talk to me. What's too close?"

Aqua scowled at the question but turned to him with a sudden anxious expression. "It was too close today. We nearly lost him."

"Oh." Terra frowned. He knew exactly where she was going with this.

"I think we should cut our vacation short. Eraq is still to young and the world's are too dangerous."

Terra studied her for a moment. Her eyes were sad, as though it pained her to break this to him, but at the same time her tone was stern. He had a feeling she was going to be stubborn about the matter, but he at least had to try and persuade her differently. "If you're talking about those wild dogs-"

"I seen the wreckage Terra." She looked him straight in the eyes with a cold, severe reality. "I know what had nearly crushed him."

"Actually..," Terra hesitated and let out a shameful breath. "That mess was my doing. Eraq crossed without a hitch. I was the reckless one."

Aqua tipped her head at that. "Even so, it's what could have happened that worries me. He's just, so small." In that instant Eraq seemed to stir in response to his parents' hushed voices. They both halted their conversation and watched as the pup looked up with bleary eyes to make sure they were both still there before curling up again and nuzzling back into his mother's fur once more, asleep almost instantly.

"Look at him Aqua," Terra murmured. "He's so happy, having both of us, all the time."

"Terra," Aqua's tone had faded from demanding to a warning plea.

"I'm not ready for things to go back to the way they were. Neither is Eraq."

"I'm not either," Aqua replied truthfully, her tone desperate and broken. "But it's our job to keep him safe. The things that happened today-"

"Look," Terra interjected, his tone gentle and optimistic as he reached out to her with one paw. "Today was my fault. I took my eyes off him for less than a minute. I promise, it won't happen again. Just please, don't make us go back yet."

Aqua sighed in defeat, her resolve melting in his dark, hopeful pools. Honestly, he was like a little kid- no, he was even worse than Eraq when he wanted something. She didn't even need to voice her answer. Her decision was obvious enough in her gaze and Terra nudged her head triumphantly. "I'd kiss you, but, well you know."

Aqua practically rolled her eyes. He gloated like a kid too. "Let's hope Ven picks a more normal world next time."

"I'd like that," he whispered in her ear seductively and before she could snap at him not to get any ideas, he seemed to shift gears on a dime, turned and yawned grandly. "But I have my doubts."

AN: If you're curious about the pic that inspired this chapter, head on over to deviantart and do a search for "Walls of the Heart" by BosleyBoz. (That artist also has a ton of neat KH lions.)