WARNING! There is bunny rabbit death in this chapter. If you love bunnies, turn back now. You have been warned.

The school day had ended. Cloud marched down the stairs of the school entrance. After the events of that morning, he was just ready to go out to the forest and get a chance to clear his thoughts. The rest of the day had been uneventful, but his thoughts had been haunted by ruby eyes. He had been so happy and joyful after he and Tifa had gone their separate ways. She had finally said something to him! Sure, it had been after a sticky situation, but she knew his name.

Cloud had just made it to the bottom of the stairs when he sensed a familiar presence behind him. A quick dart to his left, and a raven blur sailed past his right. Cloud smirked as Zack stumbled to catch himself before falling into the muddy road. The older boy righted himself and returned a smirk of his own.

"Nice, man. You're getting better."

Cloud just shook his head with a grin and continued down the road, Zack tagging alongside him like earlier that morning.

"So, anything interesting happen today?" Zack asked casually.

Thoughts of Tifa immediately surfaced in Cloud's mind, and he looked thoughtful for a second before nodding. Zack smiled at his expression.

"Well, spill it! Did you finally make a move on Tifa?"

Cloud opened his mouth to answer, but shut it again as he contemplated the scene between Johnny, Tifa, and him. He hadn't exactly made a move like the one Zack was implying, but…

He finally replied with, "Sort of."

Zack waited for him to continue.

"I was getting ready to leave my first class, and Johnny and his friends started aggravating Tifa. I guess they targeted her because they thought she was a teacher's pet. Maybe they were jealous that she was so smart, I don't know."

"Go on," Zack prompted.

"They were getting a little out of hand, so I stepped in. I got Tifa out of there before I ended up in another fight with those guys…"

Zack had developed a small frown at the mention of Johnny and the gang, but as he listened to Cloud talk about helping Tifa, his smile returned.

"She thanked you, right?"

Cloud nodded.

"Will she remember your name?"

Cloud hesitated, but gave a small nod. Zack clapped him on the back good-naturedly.

"Ah, Spike, I knew you had it in you! Look at you go, you chick magnet!"

Rolling his eyes, Cloud just kept walking ahead. He looked out to the mountain range rising in the north. As was usual, the sharp peaks were cloaked in fog. The mountains – Mount Nibel especially – seemed to attract clouds and fog despite the clear sunny weather that day. It had always been an enigma to Cloud. Whenever he asked about it, the only answers he received were vague and brief. Some said it was just from the way the mountains were formed, others said it was because the mountains were cursed. Cloud wasn't sure he believed the latter.

His gaze traveled down the desolate, rocky slopes to where the forests started to spring up.

"Hey, Zack."

"Hmm?"

"I might make another hunting run today. Do you want to come with me?"

Zack followed Cloud's gaze to the mountain. His natural, unconscious smile faded slightly.

"Are you sure the fence isn't on?"

"It wasn't the last several times I was up there."

The raven haired boy was quiet for a minute before speaking up.

"I think I can make a run today."

Cloud stopped walking and ran a hand through his golden, fluffed spikes. "Where do you want to meet up?"

"I'll meet you by the water tower in thirty minutes, okay?"

"Alright. See you there."

Cloud leaned against the frame of the old water tower at the center of town, his arms crossed. The molding wood creaked slightly under his weight. He was dressed in his usual hunting garb: a dark shirt, and close fitting black cargo pants. His steel toed, brown boots broke up the dirt as he kicked at it in his impatience. One of his hands slid into his pockets where he kept several strands of thick string for snares and nets in case Zack decided that would be the more productive way to hunt that day. He removed his hand from his pocket and started to fiddle with his canteen's strap.

He looked up into the sky. It was going to start getting dark in about six hours. They needed to get moving soon. Where was Zack?

Just as he had the thought, Cloud spotted his friend approaching at a jog. The blonde pushed himself off the moldy beams and walked out to meet the other boy. Zack wore a dark green shirt and dark pants. On his feet were worn-out running shoes with a few holes in them. The soles had been worn down to the point where the treads were almost nonexistent. Cloud eyed the footwear as they started to walk along the path leading up the mountain side.

"Those shoes are on their death bed. Why do you keep wearing them?"

"Because," Zack replied, "they're the only shoes that I can get away with ruining. Mom freaks out every time I wear my nicer shoes on the trade roads."

The boys continued on in silence. The trail up the mountain continually grew steeper until it leveled out where construction had blown off the side of the mountain, leaving high walls on the left side of the road and a steep decline on the right. Just before the walls started to rise on the mountain face, Cloud cut to the left, disappearing into the bushes. Zack followed suit. They wound through the brush before finding an animal trail. It was almost invisible, but the two knew it by heart and followed it up along the top of the high walls, before it turned and started to head up the steep slope.

After a half mile of walking, the two hit the steepest part of their hike. The trail had disappeared, but their usual path to the fence was still clear. Without hesitation, Cloud started to scramble up the slope, leaping from boulder to boulder and grabbing the branches of a few hardy trees for balance when he nearly slipped. Zack climbed behind him. The further they went, the harder they started to pant.

After ten minutes of scrambling, the two finally made it to the top of the slope. They collapsed on a pile of boulders, panting and sweating. Behind them on a wide grass lawn stretched the fence, the relatively flat forest area behind it stretching off to slowly creep up the mountain slope a mile away.

"Phew!" gasped Zack as he wiped some of the sweat from his brow. "I always hate that little hike right there. It never gets any easier."

Cloud just grunted an agreement as he took a swig of water from his canteen. When he finished he let out a small gasp as he tried to catch his breath from the struggle up the rocks. He peered down the slope they had just climbed.

"Can you imagine trying to get an entire deer down that slope?"

Zack just shook his head as he leaned back, his legs dangling off the side of his boulder.

"We're just trying to catch a few small critters today, right?"

Cloud just shrugged. "We'll get whatever we can that comes along."

After a ten minute break, the two slid off the boulders and approached the fence. They listened carefully, but there was no hum of electricity coming from the thick cables. As a precaution, Zack grabbed a large tree branch nearby and tossed it at the fence. When it harmlessly bounced off the steel cables without sticking, the two were assured that the fence was turned off. They hurried towards it, sliding through the cables and darting towards the tree line on the other side.

They set a brisk pace and after another thirty minutes of jogging, they came to the place where their hunting weapons were stored. Cloud reached into the dead tree and pulled out his bow and quiver. He set those on the ground and reached back into the hollow tree, grabbing his hunting knife and strapping it to his belt. He turned around and saw Zack waiting for him, spear in hand.

The raven haired teen gave a grin a raised up his spear.

"Let's go get some MEAT!" he shouted with a laugh and charged into the forest. Cloud darted after him.

Two hours later found the two slowly stalking through the brush as quietly as they could. Ahead of them was a clearing with a few small rabbits hopping around their burrow's entrance. From the shade, Cloud counted about five. The little animals nibbled on the tall blades of grass as the two teenagers began to creep around them in the cover of the trees and bushes.

In Cloud's hand was a long net made of the thick string he had brought along. It was a quick makeshift, but it would do the job. He silently sank to the ground, waiting for the rabbits to wander further from their burrow. On the other side of the tiny clearing, he could see Zack doing the same. The raven haired boy was very well hidden; Cloud was only able to spot him because they had used this tactic multiple times in the past. By this point, the blonde had an idea of where to look. Cloud himself had to stay especially low; his bright gold hair was easy to spot, even in the shade.

The two waited patiently. There was hardly a breeze today, which Cloud appreciated. He did enjoy the wind, but on a hunting trip it could be a danger and an advantage. While the wind rustling the tree leaves could provide some cover from an animal's keen ears, it could also blow Cloud and Zack's scents towards the prey. And on a personal comfort level, Cloud was glad he wasn't experiencing any wind chill. It got chilly this high up the mountain, and he didn't need to be shaking like the leaves in the trees.

A short amount of time passed before the rabbits had moved a safe distance from the burrow. The small creatures were at least thirty feet from the hole. They had headed in Zack's direction; exactly what Cloud had hoped they would do. As quietly as possible, he crept forward on his hands and knees, staying low enough that the tall grass would provide him plenty of cover.

His cautious advance did not alert the rabbits, so he carefully stretched the net across the entrance of the burrow. Now that his trap was ready, he could signal Zack. Cupping his hands in front of his mouth, he imitated a bird call. The short trill was the signal he and his friend used to signal the start of a trap.

Zack heard Cloud's small whistle. He leaned forward and shook the bushes in front of him, loud enough to startle the rabbits into making a mad dash for their home. He took off through the bushes and into the clearing in pursuit.

The rabbits darted through the parted grass, but upon reaching the burrow, they spotted Cloud. They tried to change direction, but he jumped forward, trapping two of them under the net. The other three rabbits shot out in different directions. One made the unfortunate decision to dash past Zack. The teen took his chance, slamming the shaft of his spear against the rabbit's neck, breaking it. The poor creature dropped without a sound.

On the other hand, the rabbits in Cloud's net were letting out distressed calls. Zack ran over, his kill in hand. He set it down and quickly helped Cloud hold down the net.

"Get them quiet before they attract some kind of monster!" he exclaimed. Cloud quickly and carefully silenced the rabbits, making sure they experienced as little pain as possible. He always made sure he killed humanely. In his mind, no animal deserved to suffer. Even if they were just prey animals.

Cloud rocked back onto his heels with a sigh.

"How many is that? Three?"

Zack nodded an affirmation, standing up and brushing off his pants before picking up the net. Making a few tweaks in the netting, he managed to turn the net into a bag. He bent and picked up the rabbits, setting them carefully in the game bag to take back to Nibelheim.

By this point, Cloud had stood up and was brushing off his pants as well when a sudden series of loud hisses and creaks echoed out of the forest. Both young men froze, looking in the direction the sound had come from. It echoed out again, this time a little closer. Zack hissed under his breath.

"Shit…"

Grabbing the game bag, the two took off in the direction of the fence. They ran as fast as their legs would carry them, but the sounds grew steadily closer despite the duo's speed. Within seconds, they could make out a loud humming and buzzing noise as well. Cloud grit his teeth as he pushed himself even harder, flying through the brambles and bushes, trying to outrun the danger.

The boys were still about a half mile away from the fence when a large bright green blur shot in front of them, blocking their path. The boys skidded to a halt just as a second green shape landed behind them. Cloud panted as he stared at the creature before him. It was a large four-legged insect somewhere between four and five feet in length. A long pointed nose with a couple jagged points by the mouth made up about a quarter of its length, while beady, glowing red eyes watched the blonde through the many facets. Two long spikes protruded straight into the air at the junction where the front legs joined the thorax. The skinny light blue abdomen ended in a pointed tan stinger. Long hind legs very similar to a grasshopper's arched above the back. The front legs were covered with more spikes; three on the bottom of the forearm and another three on the hooked front claws which nearly glowed a vivid maroon. It was a monster.

Cloud hated these things, he really did.

"Get ready, Zack!" he cried as the massive bug in front of him rose onto its hind legs, posing its front claws in a praying mantis fashion.

"I've been ready!" Zack replied as he stood back to back with Cloud. His own bug did not rise on its hind legs, instead opting to shift one hind leg against the other, making a loud noise like a cricket. The only difference was that this sound was much harsher.

At the sound – almost as if responding to a signal – Cloud's bug leaped for him. Its powerful hind legs launched it at the boy with a terrific speed.

Cloud shouted, "Get down!" and ducked as the bug flew over the spot where his head had been moments before. Luckily, Zack had dropped like a rock when he heard Cloud's shout, so the large bug missed him as well. The monster landed next to its partner, spinning on one claw to face its targets again. By this point, Cloud had dropped his game bag and knocked an arrow into his bowstring. Zack's spear was at the ready as he and his best friend stood their ground, balancing their weight on the balls of their feet.

The bugs charged at the same time. Cloud let his arrow fly, and it struck his monster bug in between the eyes, killing it almost instantly as it gave a final loud screech. It had been a lucky shot on Cloud's part; the bugs could move almost too quickly for the eye to follow.

Zack on the other hand had not been so lucky. Even though he attempted to dodge out of the way, his particular monster was surprisingly intelligent. It daintily landed just short of ramming him and changed direction the second its front claws hit the dirt, pouncing straight at Zack. He quickly tried to stumble away, but he was not quite fast enough. The long pointed spear of the creature's nose missed completely impaling itself in his leg, but it did scrape against the side of his calf, leaving a superficial three inch long cut. Zack growled in pain as the bug fully passed him. Cloud ran up to his friend's side.

The bug turned again. It rose onto its hind legs like the first had done and took a couple eerily human steps forward, claws at the ready. Cloud loosed another arrow at it, but the creature batted the arrow aside as if it were nothing more than a bothersome fly.

At its brief distraction, Zack rushed forward, thrusting his spear at the monster's chest. The surprise attack didn't work. The bug countered by clamping one of its claws around Zack's wrist and the shaft of the spear, pinning the wood against the side of his arm. Zack cried out as the spikes on the claw started to dig into his skin and draw blood. He used his left hand to try and pry the claws apart, but it didn't do much to move the vice-like claws. Zack turned his head and found himself staring face to face with the monster. He almost shivered at what looked like intelligence in its facetted red eyes.

The glance was broken when Cloud suddenly jumped in, slashing his hunting knife against the forearm of the claw pinning Zack's wrist. The monster let go with a shriek and turned to face Cloud as a thick glowing green liquid oozed out of the gash in its leg. The monster struck out at Cloud with its uninjured claw. The blonde had been waiting for this, and he jumped backwards. The claw missed him, but managed to shred his left sleeve.

The bug was starting to attack again when a spear head suddenly protruded out of its chest, green goo dripping of the tip. The monster shuddered and dropped to the ground, legs twitching for a few minutes before it became still.

Both boys stood in the silence left behind after the battle. Zack clamped his hand over the gash in his leg, stopping the blood flow. Cloud just stared in shock at the dead creature before him as its green blood oozed around it, standing out in stark contrast against the red, rocky soil beneath. Zack's voice snapped the blonde out of his daze though.

"Those have got to be the biggest damned kyuvilduns I've ever seen in my entire life," the raven haired teen huffed as he stared at the fallen bugs. "I thought they were only supposed to reach about two feet in length. I've never heard of a sucker this huge!"

"You're right," Cloud agreed quietly as he crouched down to get a better look at the bug Zack had killed. "But there's one thing that's really bothering me."

Zack looked up. "What's that?"

Cloud met his friend's blue eyes, his own clouded with a slightly horrified wonder.

"The blood. It looks just like mako."

A/N Dun dun duuuuh! :D What's this? THE PLOT THICKENS. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I know I sure did! I have decided that I am addicted to action scenes. O_O They are so much fun to write!

In case you haven't already figured it out, this story is going to have a mix of normal animals from our world and monsters from the delightful world of Final Fantasy VII. The monster bugs in this chapter really do exist in the FFVII world. Like Zack said, they are called "kyuvilduns," and they are found at..: MT. NIBEL! Oh, I'm so clever~! *sarcasm*

Look out for new updates! I'm sorry this one took over a month to come out, but at least it's better than the last chapter right?

Toodles!

~Sparky