"Down With the Sickness"

Yet another story from me. I've been playing with different scenarios regarding what happens to Cloud after KH2, and this is one of my favorites. This story was inspired by Okami for the PS2 and the anime Wolf's Rain. Likewise, I borrowed a few elements from each. If you have played Okami or watched Wolf's Rain, you should be able to pick up on them. The title of the story was inspired by the song "Down with the Sickness" by Disturbed.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.

Warnings for the entire story: Violence, language, blood, possible disturbing images

Chapter 1: Pride of a Wolf

Our swords clashed in mid-air, repeating the same moves that we have used over and over again, without end. He would ready his sword to pierce my chest, I would use my sword's width to block. It was almost habit now. It's sad. It's pathetic, how I can read his moves as he can read mine, as if we can read each other as if we were open books written in a large size font. All we have to do is wait for one of us to make a mistake. And hopefully, he would be the maker of that mistake.

Sephiroth always did make the mistake. How I knew that I did not know. He raised his sword just high enough to give me an opening. He did that every single time, but I don't know how I knew that. But I knew that every time, I would use that second to pierce through his chest, to burst his heart with the tip of my sword. And every time, I knew, he would fall to the ground, gasping for breath, wing wrapping around him in a desperate attempt to save its owner. It was no different now.

But he glowed as black as night as the darkness wrapped around his body. I widened my eyes in shock and dropped my sword as I saw the darkness wrapping itself around my body as well. He looked at me, a hollow look in his eyes. I shivered under that look, quickly finding the ground a much interesting place to look at. I know that I shouldn't be looking at the ground at a time like this, but I can't help but do it. I can't tear my eyes away from the healthy grass on the forest floor on which I fought with Sephiroth.

I collapse to the ground, much like he did. And it all feels so strangely familiar. I groan in pain as I feel my body changing into something not human. My bones crunch and snap, my face lengthens and my teeth grow sharp. I feel something growing from my tail bone.

"You will never find a cure as long as I am dead," he told me, smirking at me with the smirk that could literally kill a thousand men. I try to shout at him, but all that comes out of me is a pitiful bark. As I watch him fade away, I realize that something is very much wrong with my body.

I found myself on floors on the ground. I had no hands or fingers, in their place were paws. A tail swished excitedly behind me. My teeth felt much sharper, I learned as I bit my tongue in the heat of the moment. I had grown fur, fur as white and brilliant as freshly fallen snow. In the pool of blood beneath my body, I saw that my eyes had become golden and furious-looking. I had changed into something not human. I looked just as a wolf would. I had become...a wolf? I want to shout his name, to unleash my anger. All that comes out is a pitiful howl.

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I had been navigating this odd world for some period of time. It could be days, weeks, or months. I had lost track of the time a long, long time ago. I had set out to find a cure for the sickness that had overtaken my body. I had set out to become human again, so I could return to Aerith and the rest of my pack. Leon, Yuffie, Cid and Tifa...I missed them all. They were my packmates. I remember the long nights we spent under the moon together - or was it the sun? I don't remember now. My memory is all screwed up now, becoming jumbled as I try to sort through it. It's almost as if I'm sorting through my heart again to find what I really want. I wanted to raise a family with Aerith, but I can't do that if I'm not human. As I am right now, I can't even communicate with her properly. I feel my fur on my back bristle as I think about the position that I'm in. I don't like it one bit - it makes me feel threatened.

I hadn't eaten very much lately. I would like to eat human food, but there is none of that at here. The forest had ended hundreds of miles ago and had given way to a barren, snow covered wasteland. I blended in well, except for the blood that stained my coat from the last kill I had - blood from a small rabbit I had caught in the forest a few days ago. I had no reason to stay in one place. It was unlikely that anyone would find me there. I had to search for humans. Maybe, just maybe, there was someone out there that would understand my wolf language. Maybe there was someone out there that could give me a clue as to help me free myself from this body of a wolf.

My nostrils twitched as they read a new scent. It is that of a rabbit, I remember from the forest. They were easy to track but hard to catch. They require much energy to keep up with, especially in a form you're not used to. My instincts took over as I began to read where the rabbit was and where the rabbit is. It is not very far from me, the scent tells me. I have to sprint across the snow; if I don't, the rabbit will hear me and my efforts to kill it will be in vain. If I don't kill it, I'll probably die if more food doesn't come along.

I broke into a mad dash, careful about not using all of my energy in my reserves. I felt the snow under my paws; I felt the wind try to hold me back. There it is - the rabbit. I chased the rabbit across the snowy tundra when suddenly I became aware that my energy was falling, and falling fast. I tripped over my paws and watched in shock as the rabbit hopped away from me and into a little tunnel.

I don't know how long I laid there in the snow. It began to make its way into my fur, causing me to shiver slightly. I exhaled sharply, the human equiviliant of a sigh. I forced my legs to lift my weight again. They shook under me as if they were made of the weakest of materials. The muscles were simply too exhausted, too weak, to do anything except carry me for a few more days...

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I was exhausted. I had no more luck on finding prey to replenish my energy. The rabbit seemed to be the only one out here other than me. Were the others looking for me as relentlessly as I searched for a path to survival? Was Aerith crying because I hadn't returned yet? Did she still put a plate for me at the table in case I returned? Or did my pack forget about me? Did they forget about Cloud Strife?

Radiant Garden would be a paradise compared to this lonely, harsh tundra. There is no one out here, the conditions are harsh, and there is little to no food. There's no fire, no trees. It's almost as if the world was destroyed and nothing remained. If I didn't return to Radiant Garden and take my place in the restoration committee, would the world turn out like this if they were attacked by the Heartless?

They're unforgiving creatures. I haven't seen any here. Are the conditions too harsh for them, as they are for everything else other than a few stray, dying animals? I haven't seen any Nobodies; have they been reunited with their Heartless? Have the Heartless disappeared and everyone and everything returned to normal, except for me? I'm stuck as a wolf. It has its perks, but I want to be a human again.

I'm not human anymore. I can't talk to Aerith as a human. I can't write, eat, cook like a human. I can't have the pleasures of reading books or writing in my journals, or doing maintence on Fenrir. I can't even help Cid work on his Gummi Ships. I never liked helping Cid until now. Only when you lose something do you learn its value. I took everyone on Radiant Garden for granted. I recognize that now. They have much more value to me than anything I've ever known.

Aerith has the most value to me. Not only is she sweet and caring, but she tried to warm my heart when I was scared and depressed. She was always by my side no matter how many times I rejected her. She always supported me. When it comes to criminals, she condemns the offense, not the offender. She's always there, planting flowers in her church, being a peaceful and pleasant person. I can't help it that I love her. I'll do anything to get back to her. I want to get back to her no matter what the cost. I'd take my own life for her.

I collapsed again. My legs don't even move now. I laid on my side, the snow collecting on my fur coat. I could do nothing but close my eyes. I was going to die.

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I felt something warm surround my body. Am I in heaven? I tried to move my fingers, only to find out that I still had none. I was still alive, but barely kicking. My eyes were closed, but I didn't want to open them to begin with. I seemed to have control of my limbs again, I discovered, when I twitched my legs and feet experimentally. My curiousity was beginning to drive me insane. As curious as a little child would be, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was a fire.

Beyond the fire sat a young teenager. He had spiky brown hair, almost like he stole my human hair and dyed it brown. His blue eyes were watching me intently, almost as curious about me as I was about him. His form was small and almost fragile looking, but there were some muscles on his frame. His shorts were baggy; his shoes were large. His short fit him more normally, but was still slightly baggy on his frame. His gloves refused to cover his fingers, instead choosing to go up his wrist. He smelled like the ocean breeze, but also had the scents of my friends on him. Suddenly, I recognized him. He was Sora.

Tiredly, I sat up. I cocked my head to left side, showing him that I was curious about him and why I was here. He seemed to take my hint quite well, as he began to speak. "A king told me that I was supposed to be looking for a white wolf."
(King Mickey, I thought.)
"My friends were kidnapped. I don't know where they are, or what happened to them -"

He cut himself off suddenly. I felt his aura change. It made me sad as well. I walked over to him and laid by him. He petted me gently, as if I was a dog. At the moment, I couldn't care less.
"The king said that if I found a white wolf, the wolf would be able to take me to my friends. It seems kind of odd, though. A white wolf, of all things? Wolves can't even talk, last time I checked. Even though that was a long time ago."

"We need a name for you. You're a guy, so Snowy would sound kind of queer. How about we call you Kisei? I think it has a nice ring to it, doesn't it Kisei?"

Kisei? He named me? I'm not a pet, but adopting the name wouldn't be a bad idea. I don't know if I'll meet others like me, but if I do, it'd be nice to use a different name. I don't want them questioning why my name is Cloud Strife, like that human that disappeared. And besides, I'm not human anymore. I'm Kisei.

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For some odd reason, I found this as fun to write. Maybe it's because the storyline I have written for this is almost as long as the first chapter itself. And the first chapter itself was only a paragraph of the storyline.

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