A/N: Just a little something that I whipped up during a lull at Bible Quizzing yesterday. I've seen too many pictures of Axel changed into a lion, haven't I…? Whelp, nothin' for it! When my muse hits, well, I have to answer the call, now don't I?

This piece focuses on how much Axel's (Lea's) character changes throughout the course of the games, and as you probably noticed, it is VERY heavy on the metaphors. Yep. I'm a dork. And proud of it, too.

Please review.

Today I am an alley cat
I chase a fly, I catch a rat
And I run first this way, then that
For I'm a simple alley cat

I go where I'm not s'posed to be
And drag another cat with me
Until we're caught, no longer free
And no more alley cats

Today I am a rattlesnake
I'm wily, use my mind to take
I strike and bite and enemies make
Since I'm a savage rattlesnake

My blood is cold, my heart is stone
I trust in only me alone
I am a killer to the bone
And through and through a snake

Today I am a mother bear
Protecting my cubs from out there
Shielding them from malicious stare
Because I am a mother bear

I fight for them with tooth and claw
And for their sakes run my feet raw
I drive monsters off with my paw
My job as mother bear

Today I am a wildebeest
Avenging my friends now deceased
Within my heart, anger is creased
As I'm a vengeful wildebeest

I chase the one who caused their pain
I fight on through the hurt and strain
Though all my efforts are in vain
For I, the wildebeest

Today I am a basset hound
My loyalty remains unbound
My reasons to fight have be found
For me, the loyal basset hound

I fight for you to save my friends
And with you, I will make amends
I've finally come to the end
As a young basset hound

Once, I was an alley cat…
I chased a fly, I caught a rat…
It's been so long since I was that;
A young, innocent alley cat

I want to save the other cat
He was dragged down, much like the rat
And cheated by a wicked bat
My dearest friend, that alley cat

I wish to someday save my cubs
The first in years that I had loved
They gave me purpose here above
They made me mother bear

Today, at last, I am a man
I accept that from which I ran
And here with you, I make a stand
For now I am a real man

I'm not a cat, a snake or bear
A wildebeest, a hound or hare
Just who I am is someone rare
To be another, I'd not dare

It doesn't take a lot to see
I am no one except for me

FIN!

I'm not obsessed with Axel… what are you talking about? :D. I LOVED WRITING THIS! It was so much fun. :) :) :)

The "other cat" was Isa. The "cubs" were Roxas and Xion. The "wicked bat" was Xehanort. And the "you" who is constantly mentioned is Sora. You can decide for yourself who the "rat" is; I didn't have anyone in mind for that one. That covers all of the important stuff!

Review!

*Update: After I published this, I noticed several points in the poem that were weaker than they could be. It's been driving me crazy! So this morning, I just copied the story onto a Word document and did some editing. It sounds much better now, I think.