To Fall Down Low

Chapter 1 - A Very Pleasant Meeting :D

Leaves crackled in the bush, wavering slightly as some unknown animal rustled beneath them. Winter had just given way to the soft touch of spring, and now with all the Glaceons gone back to the Northern Mountains there was at last some peace in the otherwise bustling forest. Now only creatures of the night and shadow remained, as they were best suited to the harsh impracticality of the abyssal darkness-the canopy was so thick and lush that it only let through the smallest amounts of sunlight, in only the most open of places. In other parts of the Valley, sunlight was much more common; Flos Grove was a safe haven for all daylight creatures, with no shelter anywhere from the bright sun overhead and plentiful flowers across the plains. The Southern Mountains especially were showered in blistering heat daily, making sure to melt every speck of snow but from the very peaks. Luckily, prey tended to stick to more remote, darker areas-such as Avys Woods. The abundance of food and shelter was virtually irresistible, much to the other residents' great advantage; but out of all the hunters in the dark woods, only one stood out among the others.
Leo stopped in his tracks the moment he heard the rustling bush, pricking his long black and yellow ears to pick up any further movement. Sure enough, he could hear the soft pitter-patter of tiny paws upon defrosting leaves as clearly as the wind-prey was in there, ready to be taken. His reputation for stealthiest hunter was hardly borne a rumor; not even the crackle of a twig could be heard as he took one conscientious step toward the bush, then another. The rustling continued, unbroken, a sign that the prey had not noticed anything out of the ordinary in its scavenging. Leo drew in a small breath, careful not to let the air make a sound, and craned his neck to catch sight of the creature. There it was-his night vision had never failed him-a rather large mouse-like animal, similar to a rabbit in that it had long ears and heavy hindlegs, digging its nose through the dirt in search of food there. It seemed to have found a small nut of some sort, as it stopped walking and stood up on its haunches to eat. The time to pounce was close, he knew-much longer and it would sense him and run away into the forest without hope of finding something as large ever again.

Leg muscles tense, forepaws extended, head level to the ground, Leo leapt high into the air and dove down upon his prey, pinning it to the ground and biting its throat to quickly kill it; not even a squeal of terror could escape its tiny mouth before he ended its life. He gathered the mouse/rabbit in his mouth with some difficulty due to its size, and could not help but feel some pride over having caught it so quickly. I doubt I'll even have to hunt any more tonight! This will last for a long time. But even as he thought it he knew he could take no such risk; there could be no prey tomorrow, or the day after, and he must have a ready supply of food during that time if it did happen. Life was unforgiving-that much he knew with certainty. It didn't matter if you lived or died, because the world kept on existing even after every life upon it perished. The trees around him would continue their swaying long after he passed away, and the grass below him would more likely than not be eaten before the sun rose that morning. Out here, it was every eevee for himself; anything less and you would surely die. That mindset was part of the reason Leo was such a good hunter-he knew that if he did not catch the prey right in front of him, he might never find another again. Everything depended on that one moment, and so it could not be wasted by any error. Leo sighed, grateful despite everything that he had caught such a large bounty. Winter had been tough that year, and this would be his biggest meal in months. That, at the very least, was something to look forward to in his solitary life.

A long, high-pitched scream cut through the night's silence. More yells followed, lower in frequency as if coming from different mouths than the first. They seemed angry-passionate, even. But the sound and overall lack of stealth was unmistakable: a group of sylveons was the cause of the disturbance. Leo dropped his kill immediately, pupils dilated in momentary confusion and fear. What were sylveons doing here, so deep in the forest? And why were they fighting one another? Usually they only caused such a ruckus when harassing other eevees...mostly, though, umbreons. Perhaps they were ganging up on one, instead of their own kind? But no umbreon would consciously let out such a loud scream-stealth and quiet was second nature, even in danger. Leo's curiosity eventually got the better of him as the voices continued, though he had no intention whatsoever of interfering. Sylveons were dangerous, and more so to his kind than any other. Quickly he buried the carcass under the bush he had first found it, making a mental note to come back and get it later, and ran swiftly through trees silent as a shadow.