I was thinking about Ulrich again. He seemed to enter my thoughts quite often as of late. Our relationship has escalated, and although they don't like it, Jeremie, Aelita, and even Yumi have accepted us. But, anyway, I was thinking about the new scar he had on his side. It's new, and I know, because he was naked last night, and it was there, though it wasn't last week. We sleep in the nude now, and it is SOOO relaxing.
When the bell rang, I went over to Ulrich, who was, as usual, waiting for me by the coffee machine in the commons. The rest of the gang was there too, so I asked Ulrich if we could go to our room to talk.
"Sure, Odd. Let's go." He said.
When we got to our room, I thought carefully about how to approach this.
"Ulrich," I asked, "Will you take off your shirt, please?"
A puzzled look came over his face. Then he grinned.
"Alright, sweetie. But only if you remove all of your clothes."
He wanted me naked. Well, if it was the only way…
I took off all of my clothes, and watched as he took off his jacket and shirts. I eyed his hard, toned, and golden torso carefully; partly for the pleasure of knowing he was mine, but mostly trying to find the scratch.
"Now, could you stand up and turn around, please?" I asked him.
This puzzled him.
"Alright," was all he said.
He turned around and there, on his left oblique, was a scar. And it looked like a claw mark. I ran my finger over it and it sent shivers up his spine.
All of a sudden, he spun around. There was a strange look on his face, one I did not recognize.
"What are you doing?" He said slowly, and surprisingly, menacingly.
"I..I was…. I thought…"
"What? What did you think? What do you think made that mark?" He asked. The tone of his voice scared me.
"I don't know." I said as slowly and as steadily as I could. Thank God my voice didn't crack. "Tell me, please, Ulrich. I'm concerned. You know every inch of my body, and I thought I knew yours, but now you have that, and it looks like, like… I don't know. A claw mark?"
"Yes," he hissed, his voice just barely audible. "It is a claw mark. And not just any claw mark. It is the mark of the wolf. I've changed, Odd, and not in a good way. You're usually asleep when it's time, but every night, at 10:00, I change. And it hurts. It hurts so bad…" He said, letting his voice trail off. There was a stream of tears coming from his eyes. Now I was worried. Ulrich never cried.
"Change? How? Wait a minute. Mark of the wolf?"
He nodded.
"Please tell me you're not a…. a... a WEREWOLF!"
Ulrich looked at me with a pained expression and said nothing.
"A werewolf! Why didn't you TELL ME! I was the one person you could have come too, and instead, you try to handle it by yourself! Why didn't you…. You…"
I stopped, because the expression on his face was one of pure pain. And this blip in Ulrich's composure, let alone him being in pain, hurt me. I couldn't let him suffer alone. And there was only one way to do that, and it wasn't going to be easy. I had to mislead him until tonight.
"10:00? Tonight?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I thought you would not understand, or break up with me, or do something incredibly stupid. There's no cure. I did find one person who specializes in Werewolves, and she is trying to make a cure. Her name is Michele Cross, and she lives in Paris, with her brother, who is also a 'Chronowolf', as she put it. Every time I transform, I go to see her."
"Can I come, next time?" I asked him.
"NO!" He shouted at me.
So we waited. We skipped the rest of our classes for the day and sat in out room in silence.
"Ulrich," I started to say, but a glance at his pained face shut me up.
The sun went down, and for a moment, I thought I saw a look of panic on Ulrich's face. But, I must have imagined it, because it only lasted a second.
"It's almost time," He said.
I looked at the Clock on my desk. It said 9:58 P.M. It was almost time to put my plan into action. The clock was ticking.
"Ulrich, I want you to do something for me." I told him.
He looked at me with a pained expression. "What could I possibly do for you this close to my transformation?"
"You'd be surprised." I said.
CRACK! His whole body started shaking while small cracks and pops filled the room.
"Ulrich, kiss me."
He raised his eyebrows.
Crack! I looked at his hands and saw the nails were elongated, like claws. My plan might just work after all. I leaned over as he tilted his head and we kissed. While he was distracted, I took his hand and scraped the nails hard across my bare torso.
He stumbled away from my and looked at the blood on my chest and my skin under his nails. He had a look of horror on his face. The pops and cracks were getting louder and faster. His height was increasing, as well as his muscle size and coarse, wolf hair was sprouting all over his body.
"ODD, are you CRAZY! WHY would you DO THAT! He shouted at me.
"I did it because I love you, Ulrich," I said passionately, "and now you never have to be alone again.
"YOU... You AHH!"
He was doubled over in pain. I could feel the virus overtaking my own body. I knew I only had minutes before I went through the same thing.
Ulrich's transformation was complete. I couldn't turn my eyes away from him. The new Ulrich was a majestic creature. He had a chocolate-brown coat, with golden eyes and a flat, pink nose. He was waving a big, bushy brown tail behind him. His body, which was already lean and built, was now even bigger and more muscular than it had been.
"Ulrich, you're beautiful." I whispered to him.
Thank You. I heard in my head. My heart skipped a beat as I realized Ulrich was inside my head.
Heh-heh. Yeah. You'll get used to it. I figure you've got maybe 30 seconds before you start your transformation. Good thing you're naked, because having clothes on when you transform makes them explode when your body changes shape.
As I listened to his soothing voice, my spine made a crack sound. It was starting.
You'll want to lie down for this. He said.
I went over and lay down on my bed when the pain overtook me. But it was more than pain. It was unendurable agony. Every bone in my body, along with every muscle and organ, was changing to accommodate the wolf genes. Every inch of my body, both inside and out, felt like I was falling off a 50-story skyscraper onto a bed of spikes in a pit of lava. It felt like every bone was being shattered over and over. It wasn't just pain, it was torture.
I couldn't find my voice. My mouth wouldn't make a sound.
Ulrich, I thought, Ulrich, can you hear me?
Yes, Odd. I'm here for you. Listen to my voice and forget about anything else. Let my voice soothe you.
As he spoke, I tried to ignore the pain. As I listened to him, the pain slowly died away until I was nothing. I felt empty.
Good. You're doing great. You're turning out to be a beautiful specimen as well. We'll live forever, just you and me, partners for life. Did you know that there is a whole country of people like us? I found it out from Michele. She said it was not likely she would ever develop a serum to cure us, and that we should go to Lycanthopia. The land of the werewolves. There is an island in the Pacific Ocean that harbors werewolves, safe from humans. It's like going on retirement early.
But we got the short end of the stick. We'll have to go through this every night. Some people who contracted Lycanthropy were lucky. They are Lunawolves, the wolves who transform by the full moon. We have to put up with the pain every night. But Michele will take us to Lycanthopia, where we can live in peace. Did you know werewolves never die? We'll be like this forever.
This news filled me with peace. My senses started getting sharper, and suddenly, the pain was gone. I was done.
What do I look like? I asked Ulrich. I was afraid to open my eyes to look in the mirror.
Well, you have a blonde fur coat, with purple spots. You have purple fur around your feet, and a big purple patch on your belly. The rest of your coat is blonde. You have blue eyes, and you're shorter than me. But then, you already knew that.
Anything else?
See for yourself.
I peeked into the mirror in the closet and saw what Ulrich had described to me.
Does this change anything between us, Ulrich?
Yes, Odd. This bonds us together for life. Am I the one you wanted to spend the rest of your life with?
There's no question about it, Ulrich. Of course.
Good. Because this is the rest of your life, forever. We will be together forever. Now, there are some things we need to practice.
I was puzzled. Like what? I asked him.
Wolf stuff. Hearing, Smelling, and telepathy tests. We'll start with the hearing. Let's head to the park to start.
But, we're naked! I really didn't want to be seen by anyone else without clothes, no matter what state I was in.
So? On the island, there's no clothing allowed. What would be the point?
I hadn't thought about that.
He walked over and pushed the window open.
We can walk on our hind legs?
Of course, He said, why couldn't we?
Well, dogs…
ODD! ARE WE DOGS!
No Ulrich, but…
Then PLEASE don't compare us to them. Now, out the window.
I climbed out the window, and looked down at my new body. My entire body was covered in hair, exactly as Ulrich described. My feet resembled oversized dog-paws, while my hands retained their shape. I felt really self-conscious walking upright, because I looked down, and saw my penis was enveloped in a dog-like sheath. It was really weird. I started walking to the park, when I was overwhelmed by the new senses in my body.
I walked into the section where we go into the sewer, and Ulrich followed in behind me. I was surprised to see he brought kiwi with him.
What is Kiwi doing here, Ulrich?
The next voice surprised me. It was higher pitched than Ulrich's, and Ulrich had a smug look on his face.
I am here to train you and sharpen your senses. said Kiwi.
When he said that, I literally passed out. I woke up because Kiwi was chewing on my right thumb.
Hey! Stop that! And how is it that you can speak to me!
One, your thumbs are your only weak spots, so protect them. They also help you in some situations, such as this. It sends an impulse through your body, telling you to protect yourself. Your thumbs are what separate you from me. And two, we are now closer together than you ever thought possible. I have watched you grow for the past few years, and later we will practice sharing memories. I helped Ulrich through this process, and now I will help you.
Now, we will practice with your hearing. I am going to run north, and I have this small bell around my neck. Ulrich is going to time you, and when you can no longer hear me, do something to stop Ulrich's watch. I can run 16 mph, or 330 feet per minute. I will run until Ulrich signals me back.
Ulrich managed to hear over 1000 feet away. Lets see if you can beat him, eh?
All this was a lot to take in. Kiwi was going to be a teacher? This was the most bizarre day of my life.
Are you ready? asked Kiwi.
Alright. Lets get started. I said.
Ulrich, do you have the timer?
Yes, sensei. he replied.
I looked at him incredulously.
Sensei? Ulrich, did you just call my dog a Sensei?
Yes, Odd. Kiwi is now our teacher. We may not like it, but he has much to teach us. Whoever thought that one day dogs would be teaching humans? He grinned.
On my mark, then. said Kiwi. Three, two one, GO.
I heard Kiwi's little bell for a while. Eventually the sound got fainter, and I motioned to Ulrich to get ready to stop the timer. Eventually, I could barely hear it anymore, and finally, I told Ulrich to stop the timer.
Six minutes, 38 seconds. Ulrich saidproudly. You did better than me. That's almost 2053 feet. You can hear twice as far than I can, Odd. I am so proud of you.
Now what? I asked him.
Now, we wait for Kiwi.
We waited over ten minutes for him, and finally he came back.
Alright, Odd. It's time to test your nose. Somewhere on my way back, I marked a tree. Your job is to find it within the given time limit. Since I gave Ulrich three minutes to find it, I will do the same for you. Be warned: there are many false trails and other dogs have marked many other trees. You must find the right one. Are you ready?
Yes. I said. I was going to beat Ulrich again.
Ulrich, are you ready? He asked.
Yes. Replied Ulrich.
Then on my mark. Three, two, one, GO!
I ran north, smelling all the different directions. I smelled Kiwi's trail, but not the tree. The wind shifted, and suddenly I smelled it. It came from behind me. I stuck my nose to the ground and followed the trail. It led back to the clearing, and to the tree behind Ulrich.
I ran over to that tree to confirm it, and gave my dog a smug look.
You waited for me to leave, and then marked this tree. Very clever. Did you do this to Ulrich?
Yes, I did. It was lucky for him the wind caught, because he nearly ran out of time. But your nose seems to have caught the scent faster than he did. Well done.
Now, for you last exercise before I determine if you're worthy to go to Lycanthopia. You must see the memories I am showing you. A pack must be able to coordinate flawlessly, and for this, you must be able to read each other's minds. This much you already know. But it goes deeper than that. You can help others in need by projecting memories that will calm them. We are going to practice sending and receiving. Are you ready?
Yes, Kiwi. If this works, Ulrich and I will be even more intimate than before. Let's get started.
Alright, here we go.
All of a sudden I saw myself getting Kiwi off the plane, and getting a ride to Kadic. The detail was amazing. Suddenly, the image changed to Ulrich and I in our room, making out. Then we stripped off our clothes and experimented with each other. That I remember. But it was cool to see what Ulrich was doing to me. The image changed again, and I saw the incident from this afternoon. I saw me kissing Ulrich, then take his hand and scratch myself. There was more blood than I remember. I watched as Ulrich changed, then I saw me on the bed. I saw the image get closer, so obviously Kiwi got closer to what was happening. I couldn't believe how bad I looked. My whole body was writhing in pain, and my body was changing. Suddenly, I heard my conversation with Ulrich while I was changing. It took less time to happen than I thought.
Suddenly, the images stopped. Now it is your turn. Try to visualize a memory in perfect clarity, and then play it in your head. Don't just see it, feel it. Feel everything you felt at that moment. Ulrich and I will pick up on whatever it is that you felt, saw, heard or anything you received in your senses.
OK, I'll try. I thought. I thought about what to visualize.
How about something on Lyoko? Suggested Ulrich.
That's a great idea. I replied. I visualized Ulrich's swordsmanship, his martial arts, and his coolness while fighting William. I pictured going to space, and the interior of my Nav-Skid. I pictured Ulrich and my first kiss, the moment we told our friends we were together, and the faces they made.
That's enough. Said Kiwi.
Really? I'm done? I thought. Can I go see what this body can do now?
Yes, Odd. Your training shows you to be an exemplary male wolf. Unfortunately, since Ulrich came first, he is the Alpha male in your pack, even though there are only two of you. I will always be with you. Anywhere you go, I will be there.
But, you're my dog. Aren't you going to die eventually? I asked him.
No, when the "master" of a dog inherits a canine gene, they will be bonded. I will be your teacher, and Ulrich will be your partner and lover. This is the way it will be for the rest of your life. I hope you knew what you were signing up for when you made Ulrich scratch you, because you cannot go back to normal. This will run your life. There is some good news, though.
What's that? I asked.
Every year, there is a 40-day period when the transformations will stop. And although you will be the same age, your body will mature and grow during this time, much faster than a normal human's body would. You may be 13 now, but two years from now, your body will be that of an 18-year-old. Five years from now, when your body clock reaches 25, your body will die.
This shocked me. And judging by the shocked look on Ulrich's face, he didn't know either.
Die? But, what will happen to my life here? My school? And my friends? What about my parents?
Your bodies will be found in your beds. You will be dead, and this will be your key to peace. When this happens, do not panic. You will be safe to go on with your life. As for your friends and family, you'll want to say goodbye beforehand. Unless you plan to take them with you, in which case you'll need to bite or scratch them. During those two months, your body will retain the effects of your transformation, with out the actual process. So, if you scratch or bite someone, even accidentally, they will be sentenced to the same thing you are going through.
Really? This news appalled me. But, it was my life now, and I had to accept that.
Yes, really. Now, you may go explore your new body. And take Ulrich with you. You'll want the companionship when you discover the knot.
Knot?
Yes, knot on the end of your penis that all male wolves have. But that's all I'm telling you. Now you may go, and be safe.
Ok, Kiwi.
Oh, and Odd?
Yes?
My real name is Rornan.
I walked away from the clearing, but decided to take the tunnel to the factory. I wanted to see what I looked like this on Lyoko.
I looked up as I climbed the ladder, and I saw Ulrich following me.
Where are you going? Asked Ulrich.
I'm going to Lyoko. I said.
Wanna race? Challenged Ulrich.
You know I'll beat you. I said smugly.
Not if I get a head start! He said, racing past me. He was running on all fours, so I figured I would too. I crouched down and tore after him.
I was soon so close that I could almost bite his tail, but then he jumped in the water.
ULRICH! I stopped and looked for him.I was panicking. Could werewolves breathe under water? And if so, could they breathe that?
What? He asked calmly.
Where are you!
I'm right here. Listen.
All of a sudden I hard a loud, deep, booming bark coming from down the tunnel.
I ran towards it, and found him waiting for me by the grille at the end of the tunnel.
What took you so long?
I thought you were underwater!
Why would I be underwater?
Because I saw you jump in!
That was misdirection so I could win the race. But, anyway, up you go.
I climbed the ladder and heard him following behind me. I paused for a minute, to wait until he was directly below me, and then I farted in his face.
Hey! Odd! That's disgusting!
You deserved it. I said
I suppose. Now go.
I finished climbing the ladder, and climbed up on top of the bridge. I ran to the factory and waited by the elevator.
Ulrich followed behind me.
You go down to the supercomputer and turn it on. I'll start the virtualization process.
OK. I said. It made sense. Next to Aelita and Jeremie, Ulrich was the one who could operate the supercomputer the best.
I went down to the supercomputer and waited for it to come out of the ground. The whole process is really melodramatic. I went over to the power switch and turned it on. The computer gave off a bright flash of white light before settling down. I heard the familiar whirring sounds as I went back to the elevator.
I pressed the up button, and ascended to the scanner room. I heard Ulrich say Ready Odd?
Yes, Ulrich. I'm in the scanner. I said as I climbed into the scanner closest to the door.
Ok, I'm starting the virtualization process.
The doors closed around me.
Transfer Odd.
The wind started pulling up towards the ceiling.
Scanner Odd.
The scanner bar rose past me and then settled down again.
Virtualization.
I landed in the desert sector, in my familiar cat suit. I was human again. I looked to the sky and saw Ulrich materializing. He was in his brown and tan samurai suit.
"Why are we human? Hey! We can talk!"
"Yeah! Can you hear my thoughts?"
I listened for a minute. I couldn't hear him.
"No. But, do we really need to?"
"No, I suppose not. Not, let's see if we can get these costumes off."
Ulrich started taking off his gloves and boots. He took off his sword pack, and looked for a zipper on his suit. I saw it. It was a small one on his back.
"Ulrich, come here. I see the zipper."
He came over to me and turned around. I unzipped his zipper, and he wiggled out of his suit. His hard body was even more impressive on Lyoko. I unzipped mine, which was luckily a one-piece, and the zipper was in front. I took mine off and immediately saw mine looked impressive, too.
"Why did we never do this sooner?" He asked.
"I don't know, but now we can find out.
Five years later, Ulrich and I were enjoying ourselves on Lyoko. We had dismissed our problems on earth a long time ago. We weren't sure how long we had been on Lyoko, but we didn't really care, because while we were here, we didn't transform. There was no pain. We never run out of energy, and we were never bothered by anyone. We were at peace.
One day, without any warning, Ulrich devirtualized. Since we were in the desert sector, I ran over to one of the boulders-on-the-sticks. I shot three laser arrows into one and it fell, and I ran underneath it.
I wound my way back to earth, and saw Ulrich passed out in front of his scanner before I passed out myself.
When I woke up, I remembered Ulrich lying unconscious. I sprang to my feet, and ran over to his limp body. I was surprised to see we were both human. I bit his thumb to wake him up, but I got no response.
I felt for a pulse, and felt nothing.
I started panicking. Ulrich was dead.
My life, my love, my soul…gone.
Kiwi's works cam back to me.
"Five years from now, your bodies will die. But do not panic. This is your key to peace"
I looked at my dead mate. I had to get Ulrich home.
I tried to pick him up, and was surprised to feel he weighed nothing. I wondered what time it was. I walked back to the school, very self conscious about the fact that I was 18 years old, as was Ulrich, yet we both had 25-year-old bodies, we were both naked and I was carrying a dead body.
I walked through the sewers, and took the tunnel that goes to the boiler room. I was worried about the time.
I tried to animate Ulrich's motor skills. It took a lot of concentration and strength, but I finally go him to blink and walk. I checked every area for eyes that could bust us, and we had a lot of close calls, but I finally managed to get him to our old room.
Kiwi jumped off my bed and I lost my concentration. Ulrich collapsed on the floor while Kiwi stared at me. I was sure he was saying something, but without being a werewolf, I wasn't sure what.
I picked Ulrich up and placed him under the covers of his bed. Then I went over to mine and cried.
I looked at Kiwi.
"I thought werewolves were supposed to live forever! I thought we were going to live with each other! Now my life is over!" I shouted in anguish.
I don't know when I fell asleep, but I dreamt that Ulrich was standing over me. I heard Kiwi's voice say "It's your time now. Your death won't be as painless as Ulrich's."
I woke up and saw Ulrich standing over me. The sun was just going down.
"Ulrich! You're alive!"
I looked into his eyes and saw nothing. This was not my Ulrich.
"What are you?" I asked. I already knew.
"You will die now, Odd Della Robbia. You will be reborn with Ulrich in another land." It whispered. It wasn't Ulrich's voice.
It raised its hand and I saw a piece of vinyl cord. He was going to strangle me.
I prepared myself to die. I closed my eyes and concentrated on finding Ulrich again as soon as I was through. I felt the cord close around my neck. I felt it get tighter and tighter until it cut off my air supply. I knew I had to deal with this for a few minutes before I saw Ulrich again.
Pain, such terrible pain entered my body. But it wasn't as bad as the transformations, so I relaxed and let myself die. The darkness behind my eyes got brighter and brighter, until I was being blinded by scorching, white light. Then, a shadow entered my vision. As it got closer, I saw it was my Ulrich. But not as I had know him. This Ulrich was an angel. His body hair had disappeared, and he was waving giant, tawny wings around him. As he drew closer, I heard a sound as pleasant as a babbling brook.
"Odd," it said.
"Ulrich, is that you?" I asked. I couldn't be sure it was the same person.
"Yes, Odd. Your death is nearly complete. Soon, you will join me. Look at yourself. In less than a minute, you will be with me. We will go to Charnale, our own personal paradise."
I looked at myself. My body looked a lot like Ulrich's did. All my scars were gone, and my body hair was falling off. Suddenly, I felt pressure on my back. I turned around and saw a pair of large, golden wings sprouting from the center of my back. They were sticking out at 45-degree angles from my spine.
"You can control those. Fold them up along your spine. That is your ticket to your new life."
"Yes, Ulrich." My voice came out in loud whispers, like the wind blowing. I tried to move the wings, and found it easier than moving my arms. I folded the wings along my back. I looked back at Ulrich, and he seemed to be glowing.
"We are multi-dimensional beings now, Odd. We are no longer bound to the earth. You are now like me." He held out his hand. "Come with me, Odd. We are going home."
I followed him out of the light, and we came out on a beach. It was humid, but there were no bugs. The sky was blue, and when I stepped in the water, it was warm, like you get in a bathtub.
"This is our home, now. Forever. I was promised Lycanthopia. But when you sacrificed your life for our love, and that affected the destination of our lives. Lycanthopia is more like a hell when compared to this place. When they die, our family and friends will come to this island. They will be like us, but exactly as we remember them. This is our heaven."
"Ulrich, I want to fly." I said.
"Come on, then. Fly with me forever."
We took off and soared around our island. When we landed, we went into a large beach house I hadn't noticed before. It was furnished like the penthouse in a hotel.
"Welcome home, Odd. Prepare for paradise." Said Ulrich.
As I entered the house, I completely forgot about my previous life. It was nothing compared to this Island, with Ulrich and me as Angels.
I guess it's true: Death is only the beginning.