Zone Volume I: The Anti-Zone/Prolouge

The silhouette of a woman wearing a white gown reflected in the moonlight. She was running, but from what she didn't quite know herself. All she knew she had to get away from Mobotropolis. What was hunting her had followed. Cradled in her hands was an infant snow leopard. It mewed loudly, reaching for its mother.

Lana shook her head, "don't worry, River. I won't let those..things hurt you," the she-cat started to tear up, "I-I promise." The sound of multiple footsteps increased in volume behind her. Lana didn't know how much longer she could run. She had to shake these beasts. The grey-furred snow leopard jumped and ducked under debris and obstacles. She was starting to tire.

The cat's strong ears picked up the sound of rushing water. Lana dashed even quicker and more desperately. Maybe she could loose them through the stream. While the source of the sound was indeed a stream, it was also something else. The sound of water forcefully thrown off an edge and join the water far below was alarming.

Waterfall.

Lana came to a screeching stop at the edge of a cliff. She couldn't even see the ground anymore. The sound of rushing footsteps became more intense as the beasts approached. Lana was trapped.

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The last thing she remembered before being sent hurling over the cliff was something large slamming into her, effortlessly knocking her to what Lana thought was her death. But by some miracle, she survived. But not without a cost. Her thigh had been slit open by a sharp rock when she landed in the water. It hurt so much, but she couldn't afford to stop. Those things may come back to finish her off. And besides, she had to protect River. The baby hadn't been hurt by the fall, thankfully, but it was strange how she didn't even have a scratch on her.

Lana didn't care how either of them survived, what she cared about was getting her only child to safety. The feline hissed in pain as she trudged through the water towards the shore. She felt like she was going to collapse, but she couldn't. River had only been born a few weeks ago, she couldn't die so young. The mother's ears picked up a sound, not the footsteps of the approaching monsters, but someone calling her name.

"LANA!"

A middle-age avocet was wading through the water towards the snow leopard. Lana limped her way to the avian, "L-Levi..." she said weakly. Levi helped Lana out of the water, blood still dripping from her left thigh. The avocet eased the injured feline to a resting position and took off his shirt, wrapping it around her leg and pushing hard on the wound to try stoping the bleeding. "Thank Chaos I found you, what happened?!" Levi exclaimed. Lana coughed, finally having a chance to slow down and take a break, "I don't know...those things...they snuck into my own home to kill me", she tried to explain.

The pain was starting to soften, though it still hurt a lot. "I ran, I had to protect River. I wouldn't let those things get her," Lana started to cry. "Oh, no, no, don't cry. It'll be okay," Levi tried to assure her. "She's the only family I have left, Levi," Lana sobbed. Her mother and father had passed away several years ago and her husband had died due to a disease only a few months ago. Levi nodded sadly, "don't worry, I won't let those things hurt you anymore," he tried to comfort her. The howling of one of the monsters broke through the night. Levi cursed under his breath and tightened his shirt around Lana's leg.

"We have to go," the bird helped Lana to her feet, River still clutched in her mother's arms. The baby mewed again, reaching for Lana's face. With tears in her eyes, Lana smiled sadly, gently wrapping her fingers around her daughter's. River laughed, flailing her legs. She was too young to know of what danger they were in. The three made their way through the underbrush as quickly as they could. Levi could hear the monsters catching up. They would never be able to get away from the pack moving at this pace. However, Levi had one thing that could help them escape.

"Lana, I have an idea," the avocet said, reaching into his jeans pocket. He pulled out something shiny and gold. "A ring?" The snow leopard asked. "It's a Super Warp Ring. It'll help get us away from those things," Levi explained. "How?" Lana choked, staggering so much that she nearly fell over, but Levi helped her stay on her feet. "Watch," the avian said, tossing the ring out in front of them. The ring morphed and grew in size, and within the ring's center, a portal.

"W-What?" Lana stammered, never having seen a ring do that before. The footsteps were becoming louder as the seconds went by, "no time," Levi said, urging her towards the portal. Lana and River went through first, just in time for the monsters to catch up to their prey. Glowing red eyes and dark fur that ranged from black to purple in color. The largest wolf charged at Levi, who quickly ducked into the Super Warp Ring. It closed as soon as he went through. The alpha Shadow Wolf skidded to a stop, furious and frustrated. It let out a loud howl in fury before the pack disappeared into the darkness.