Heart Hunter

One

The newscaster is explaining in great detail what the newest proposal from the President means without a shred of shock or sympathy painting his stoic expression. All breeding of prey hybrids were to cease immediately. The government had been pushing more and more against hybrids, using claims of massive overpopulation and crime rates to scare the human community. After years of debating over what to do, they'd apparently settled on announcing that prey hybrids were considered unnecessary.

You suppose it makes a twisted sort of sense. Wolves, bears, and big cats make up the bulk of the military and police forces. Even the domestic dog and cat breeds would be safe, as most of the people in power had one as a companion. Rabbits would most likely continue to be bred for black markets, considering that they were used for exactly what you would think they were, poor bunnies. However, deer and rodents, most birds and even more like them would die out.

You shut the massive tv off and throw the remote across the elaborately decorated room, shivering in both anger and fear because unfortunately for you and your family, you were prey.

Deer hybrids were bred for their gentle grace and beauty, making them ideal as dancers and other various forms of entertainment roles such as modeling or acting. Your own family had been with your owner's for several generations, bred and trained exclusively for ballet. Hybrids were never allowed to become principals - due to the damage that would have on the human ego - but Madame's family had still produced the finest soloists in history. You were soon to follow in your parent's footsteps, as Madame had been hinting that your days as one of the coryphées were nearly over.

You knew that you had it better than many hybrids. Your owner and your mother had grown up side by side and Madame spoiled her, even going so far as to buy your father from his owner once the two had fallen in love. Such generosity was unheard of for their kind, as does were usually mated with bucks of good breeding for staggering amounts of money regardless of feelings. Lucky for your mother she had fallen for someone that came from decent enough stock for the elite snobs to overlook, and he was an exceptional dancer. The two were as madly in love as ever and were the best of parents to you and your brother. You were always grateful that you knew when the time came Madame would do no less for you. However, it didn't matter now, as you were apparently doomed to remain unmated and childless under the new law. Madame's legacy of producing the finest dancers in the country would be no more.

You sigh morosely and walk to the kitchen to finish preparing your simple meal. Your parents and Madame were still at the studio and you had told the cook that you would be fine on your own. You weren't sure where your brother was, but Luhan had been disappearing quite a lot recently, so you weren't too concerned. Since it was only you eating you were only going to make something small. You weren't that hungry anyway, considering how upset you were, so you settled on a tray of fruits and veggies. You couldn't cook, but you could handle taking things from containers and placing them on a tray, at least.

As you nibbled on some veggie sticks you contemplated your new fate. Your mother had always told you that you had a romantic soul, and you'd never bothered to argue because you knew it was true. You had grown up surrounded by dancing and music that were tales of grand love and had your own parent's still strong relationship to back it all up. You had always planned on having a loving family just like them and had wondered what your future mate would be like. No doubt they would be a deer hybrid like you, perhaps even another dancer. Then you could dance together in the living room like Mama and Papa did all the time.

Except all of your daydreams of love and happiness were floating away like wisps in the wind. No mate. No fawns of your own. Just a bleak future of dancing until your body fails you and you become worthless. Worthless to Madame and worthless to the world.

You had been so lost in your melancholy thoughts that you hadn't heard anyone come home until suddenly you heard Madame screaming for you, your parent's voices soon doing the same. You get up and follow the sounds into the living room where the three of them are frantically grabbing suitcases from the hall closet. All of them look harried and wild-eyed, your father's face stony while both Mama and Madame were crying.

Mama saw you first, crying out as she rushed to you and held you in a crushing grip. "Oh, my baby! You're okay."

"What's going on?" You ask as you awkwardly pat Mama's back.

Papa was nearly growling, a strange sound that you'd never heard him make before. "It's your brother. They took him. They took my damn boy."

"I'll do everything to get him back, I promise you." Madame sniffled, bringing a lacy handkerchief to her eyes before she gazed at you with heartbreak in her eyes.

"They aren't just banning breeding of prey hybrids, they are eliminating them. I've been hearing rumors for weeks about hybrids going missing, but I never would have suspected this." Tears continue to fall down Madame's face as she pulls your sobbing mother into her arms.

"Hybrids are being taken to a military facility where they are either killed outright or used in whatever sick way they want to. A peacock hybrid came to me a little while ago. He and Luhan were picked up earlier today. Luhan helped him escape but wasn't able to get away himself. He told the peacock to come straight here and warn us that they know about the rest of you and are coming for you next. We need to get you away."

"Away? We can't just leave Luhan!" You push away the shock and disgust over what's happening in favor of concern for your brother.

"There's nothing you can do. I, however, still have plenty of connections and money. I will abuse them all to get my sweet Lulu out of there. Meanwhile, I still have Pépère's cabin that I never use. I don't even think it's listed anywhere, so there should be no way for anyone to find you. It's a bit rustic, but I have faith in you, my dears. I will do all I can and come for you when it's safe," Madame pushes Mama and Papa towards the stairs as you follow behind.

"Go and pack, ma bichette. Only one suitcase, so take your most treasured and essential items. We must leave as quickly as possible." She pushes you up the stairs as well, patting your cheek lightly before heading towards the kitchen. "I will put together some food. Goodness, I don't even know what sort of things we have in the pantry."

Disbelief and horror have you shaking as you walk to your room and find a single suitcase waiting for you on your bed. You take in the elaborately decorated room, realizing that it might be the last time you ever saw it. Madame had been so thrilled when they'd learned your mother was having a girl and it showed in the room that was fit for a princess. Or a ballerina, of course.

Your canopied bed was massive and covered in ruffled pink and gold silk. The color scheme continued throughout the entire room - from the pink and gold vanity covered in products to the lush carpets on the marble floor. One of your walls even had a full mirror and barre so you could practice in privacy. There were trophies and ribbons from your various competitions, signed posters from shows you've seen, and pictures of friends and family everywhere. You've been in this room since the day you were born and now you had to fit a lifetime of memories into a single suitcase.

Tears fell as you slowly pack your suitcase. You wept for your family. For your poor brother who hopefully wasn't suffering too much. For Mama and Papa. For Madame. For the little girl that had grown up in this room whose dreams and hopes for her future were dead.

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AN: I had planned on this just being a one-shot, but it got really long and complicated, so now it's becoming a series! I've already got most of it written and now I'm just working on breaking them up in appropriate chapters and adding bits here and there. PLEASE let me know what you think, what theories you have, or any ideas for future fics! I love to hear from you guys and I really really hope you like this one!