A/N: Much thanks to kelleyj17 for her help, and jui-jitsu dude for some advice about the end of the chapter!
Cloud had been playing with the children, letting them take turns on his back as he ran around the lawn. He ended up holding Denzel on his shoulders while racing Nanaki as Yuffie held onto the beast's back. Naturally Nanaki won the race, but Cloud asked for a rematch some day where they could see who was really the fastest.
Afterward, Cid and Barret took him back to the table and demanded he drink with them again. Again he weakly protested, and again they told him it's a party, so drink up. He was soon sipping his third glass of whatever it was Cid had poured for him, the amber liquid burning his throat every time he let it trickle down. It was much more potent than whatever Barret had given him that afternoon, because he definitely felt toasted.
He had been looking behind him for something to gnaw on, and his eyes locked onto the wedding cake. He turned around. "Hey...Hey." Cloud was poking Barret's arm to get his attention as he held his fourth drink. "We still gotta cut the cake, don't we?"
Barret looked down at Cloud, then at the cake. His head swiveled to gaze at Tifa, and he put his free hand to the side of his mouth. "Hey, Tifa!"
Tifa glanced at the three with a raised brow; she had been talking to Reeve about something Cloud couldn't make out over the din of everyone else talking. "What is it?"
Barret jabbed a finger into Cloud's chest as he continued to look in Tifa's direction. "Yo hubby wants some cake!"
"I didn't say I wanted cake! Cake's gross."
"Y'said you two gotta cut the cake, didn't ya?!" Barret asked as he turned his head to look at his friend with a devilish grin.
Cid rolled his eyes. "Shit, your kids gotta go to bed soon, and now you're talkin' about eatin' cake!"
Cloud pointed his finger at him and wavered a bit. "Fuck you, I said we gotta cut the cake, not eat it," he casually explained with a slur.
Cid and Barret just laughed and slapped the drunk werewolf on the back. "I hope y'don't use that kinda language around the kids!" Barret chided.
Cloud blushed and looked down into his glass. "You say worse," he mumbled. His eyes glanced upward as he heard footsteps on the soft grass come closer.
Tifa was walking towards him; she stopped in front of the three and looked at the cake. It was just big enough for the party, with white icing and "Cloud and Tifa" written in blue. She motioned at Cloud to come over, and after a few moments of confused staring she grabbed his free hand and tugged him towards her. "We have to cut it together, you know," she playfully explained.
"Oh." He put his hand over hers as it held the knife. He took another sip of his drink and steadied his gait.
They both turned their heads at the sound of someone clearing their throat. Reeve was walking up to them, hands clasped behind his back. "Since this is a wedding party, perhaps I could officiate the union?"
"Officiikate?" Cloud asked.
Reeve suppressed a smirk. "Yes. You know, a little speech and then you're man and wife."
Tifa nodded before carefully putting the knife down and holding both of Cloud's hands in her own after he placed his drink on the table. "We'd love it if you did, Reeve."
The president of the WRO smiled and clapped his hands in front of his chest. He moved behind the couple and spread out his arms while looking at the small gathering of friends who quieted down to watch.
While they both were as wed as could be in this broken world, their private moment had been something that the both of them knew would want to be shared in some form or another. It was ironic to Cloud that he was yet again drunk at an important part of his life. Tifa as well, but she didn't mind. Cloud's heart was as open as it got when he was like this. The only thing stronger was when they both fell into the Lifestream.
The two looked at the crowd of familiar faces smiling back at them. Hirdthag was keeping to the edge of the crowd, looking as if he wasn't sure if he belonged in this moment or not. Reggs looked the same, but for very different reasons; Nanaki sat near him like an anchor. Shelke had a subdued smile as she looked up at the couple that let her live with them for a few months, until she decided to work in Junon.
Cid had magically appeared next to Shera, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as she did the same around his waist. Barret had left the table to pick up Marlene in his arm so she could get a good view. Denzel and Zeph were in front of the group with Vincent and Yuffie behind them, the ninja fidgeting with her phone with a gleeful expression on her face.
"We are gathered here this evening to see two dear friends come together as husband and wife—"
Cloud interrupted, "we're already spouses."
"Cloud, shhh!" Tifa ordered.
Without missing a beat, Reeve continued on. "—And exchange vows. We've all waited a long time for this moment, Cloud and Tifa." He brought his hands together and looked down at Tifa. "Not that you haven't done so many times before, but do you promise to take care of Cloud, through sickness and health, for richer and poorer, through good times and bad?"
She turned to look at Cloud, his cheeks burning red and one blue eye half open. Even completely smashed, he looked like he was taking this quite seriously. His hands were still holding hers firmly and his thumbs were rubbing her palms. A smile crept onto her face before she looked back at Reeve and nodded. "I do!"
Reeve nodded, then turned his attention to Cloud, who was still looking at Tifa. "And do you Cloud—" The warrior's head spun towards Reeve as he said his name, "—promise to take care of Tifa, through sickness and health, for richer and poorer, through good times and bad?"
Cloud's eyes, then his head went to look at Tifa. She was still smiling at him, her warm ruby eyes glimmering in the glow of the party lights. He was feeling a little emotional right now, but he choked it down after a quick glance at the group staring at them. He turned to look at Reeve, then gave a firm nod of his head. "I do."
"Then, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride!"
The spiky haired warrior cocked his head a little bit and frowned. They were already spouses, so Tifa wasn't a bride anymore. Or at least it didn't make sense in his head right now. He wondered if he was just thinking too hard on everything, because he was sure they already did the deed on the roof of the bar.
He was still looking at Reeve when he felt a warm, soft feeling glide onto his cheek. Cloud turned back as Tifa lifted herself from smooching him, and her lips twisted into a smile. "I think I'm supposed to do that," he explained.
"No one's stoppin' you, Spiky!" Barret hollered.
That was true, no one was stopping him. He leaned in with exaggerated effort and kissed Tifa on the lips, his face red from the audience that was now clapping after he finished the deed. And Yuffie's photo flash. Reeve handed the cake knife to Tifa before walking to the side, and she helped Cloud put his other hand over hers.
She slowly guided the knife into the cake, cutting off a slice. Tifa put it on a plate, then cut into it again. She picked up a piece and carefully put it in Cloud's hand. "It's customary to feed each other a piece of cake," she explained with a smirk.
His brows scrunched together as he studied the cake he was probably holding much too firmly. It smelled good despite the scent no longer being appetizing, and blue icing smeared his thumb. Cloud's eyes tilted back up towards Tifa's, and he noticed she was holding the other piece up like an offering to him.
His mate was offering him token food, that was how his brain interpreted it.
Cloud brought the cake he held towards her mouth, and she opened for him. He did the same, and they almost very neatly placed their slices into each other's mouths, but Cloud had clumsily painted Tifa's cheek white. There were a few giggles and loud guffawing. And another flash.
She rubbed the icing off as she chewed the cake. "Cloud!"
"Sorry," he said as he ate his slice, wincing at the sweetness. He took a gulp of whatever it was he had been drinking and washed it away with bitter alcohol. "Fer better or for worse."
Tifa smiled, then started laughing as he stood there, wavering on his feet. He blinked slowly at her. "What's so funny?" he asked with a bemused tone.
She wiped a tear from her eye. "It's nothing, Cloud. Maybe you should sit down again—"
"Reeve!" The two turned to see the President of the WRO being dragged by the arm by Barret. Cid jammed a glass of brown liquid into Reeve's hand.
"Drink up, man," Cid said.
Reeve let out a subdued chuckle and put up his other hand with a smile. "No, thank you. I need my wits about me."
"It's high time you stop actin' like the stuffy president of the WRO, and time to start actin' like a member of AVALANCHE!" Barret said as he poked a finger into Reeve's shoulder.
"Yeah!" Cloud gave an exaggerated nod, then sipped from his glass. He brought a foot to rest behind him too late, and began to stumble backwards; Nanaki passed by too near to his friend, and Cloud tripped over the beast. Whiskey doused Nanaki's face as the half full glass twirled in the air and fell unceremoniously to the grass. They both groaned.
"I think you might be heavier than Yuffie, I'm afraid," Nanaki chided as he began to inch himself from under his friend. He licked at his nose and grimaced at the taste of whiskey.
"Uh."
"Spike, I swear to Da Chao you were made to be a pain in the ass," Yuffie's voice drawled out from above. Cloud felt hands holding his as he stared at the night sky, then he felt yanking. "Gawd you're like a sack of potatoes!"
"Nuh-uh. You're like...like..." Cloud thought a moment as the ninja continued to tug his arms, making his back arch. "Like one of those...those big turtles!"
Yuffie dropped his hands and stomped her foot. "An Adamantoise?!" She turned about as Barret and Cid laughed loudly in her direction, and she scowled down at Cloud, who was slowly giggling as Nanaki came free from his legs.
"Yeah! One of those things!" Cloud rocked on his back helplessly.
"You look like one stuck on its back, Furball! You can stay like that for all I care!" She stomped off towards Barret, Cid and Reeve, beginning a rant at the former two. At one point they made fun of her narrowed eyes, and Cid said she looked like someone had farted. She retorted if anyone farted it was probably him.
Cloud stayed on the grass, spread eagled, for how long he didn't know. Sometimes Denzel or Zeph would check on him, or Marlene. He turned his head at one point to see the other men sans Vincent and Reggs drinking together and bantering. Hirdthag pointed at Cloud when he noticed his son watching them. "Son, are you just gonna lay there all night like a lump on a log?!"
"Shut up, Dad! I like the grass!" He turned his head to the sky again and closed his eyes. There were swirls in the darkness of his eyelids, and he just felt good. The grass was nice, the air was nice, everything was nice. He somehow got married again and everyone was there to see it, which made him blush.
"Vincent, could you help me pick him up?"
Cloud's eyes were still closed. He felt a hand and a metal claw grab his forearms, then felt his torso rise. There was a deep grunt issued from in front of him. "Cloud. Use your legs."
He automatically did so, and felt more hands on him. Whoever was helping him, he thought he had to thank them, so he reached out and stumbled into a hug. It kind of smelled like Vincent. He gave the taller man a good pat on the back. "Thanks man, you're awesome," he mumbled into Vincent's chest.
He felt Vincent stiffen, and a stifled giggle next to him. "I, ah...thank you."
"Let's get you inside, Cloud."
The world behind his eyelids was very gently spinning. Cloud felt himself moving, then felt the atmosphere change; he figured he was probably in the house, or maybe the shed. He started chuckling. He heard a low sigh from whoever was guiding him.
"They're working on Yuffie right now," Vincent said into Cloud's ear.
"Pffft. She can't hold her liquor, everyone knows that."
"Neither can you, Cloud."
"Nuh-uh. I bet I got...a lot in me."
He heard Vincent quietly chuckle and Tifa lilt a short giggle. After a few more moments of stumbling, he found himself lying down again. Footsteps walked off, and a warm mass laid next to him.
"Oh, Cloud." It was Tifa.
He turned his head and opened his eyes half way to look at her. He touched her face gently with a finger, trailing it down her cheek. "Fylbjargi," he whispered.
She smiled and chuckled at the pet name he had given her hours ago. "I'm glad you remembered." Tifa kissed him on the lips, pressing into the soft pink skin. She was rewarded a moment later with a slow lick to the tip of her nose, and she winced at the sensation and the bitter scent of alcohol. "Cloud!" Tifa rubbed her nose.
"Aren't I supposed to do that?"
She rolled her eyes. "You aren't a puppy."
"No...I'm a wolf, though." He blinked.
"Not right now you aren't."
Cloud thought hard, squeezing his eyes closed a moment, then stared her dead in the eye. "Do you want me to?"
Tifa groaned. "No, Cloud. Just stay like this."
"But I can keep you warm and I-I think I'm kinda fuzzy like that."
"I'm already warm, Cloud." She hoped against hope he would not ruin his clothing in a bid to act like a living blanket. She really wasn't sure how he would act drunk and while like that.
"Mm." He held her close and nuzzled the crook of her neck. "I love you. You're the best. I don't deserve this. I think I'm selfish—"
"You're drunk, Cloud." Tifa tried to peel away from him so she could get the kids ready for bed, but Cloud's arm was holding her firmly. "I'll be right back!"
He held her closer. "No, just...I love you. Please don't leave."
She sighed, then smiled despite herself. He was drunk and feeling insecure. "Hey. You got a big day ahead of you, don't you?" Tifa wiggled her arm free from his embrace and rubbed his cheek. "I just need to get the kids in bed. I'll be right back, you know that."
"I know that." He bumped his forehead onto hers. "I don't want you to leave."
Tifa started rubbing the side of his head, and he relaxed into his pillow with a loud hum. "Behind my ear," he mumbled partially into his pillow. She did as he asked and she felt him shudder. She tried not to laugh; it was still a funny quirk of his lycanthropy, his love for head scratches. Tifa stopped when his arms went limp and she heard him begin to snore, then kissed his cheek before getting up.
"Goodnight, Cloud."
"We're almost there, buddy."
Denzel tightly held onto Cloud as he zoomed down the road that would take them to the site that might possibly be where they ended up living. Behind them was Barret's truck, holding the rest of the family, Reeve, and Barret himself. They had passed a village earlier, getting the attention of curious onlookers who had no idea who could possibly be trying to find a new home nearby.
Denzel was still upset about the whole situation. He was being torn from his home because no one seemed to understand that Cloud was a damned hero that should have been shown recognition instead of scorn. Still, he had to admit the countryside was a soothing scene to gaze upon. When Natsumi visited him, he realized it might be her first time seeing anything like this. If Cloud was right after all the drunken rambling he did last night, Denzel would have plenty to show her. The thought lightened his mood a little bit.
Cloud was watching the sides of the road as Denzel contemplated on his back. He was still a little wired from all the coffee he had that morning; the party went on a little longer than was probably necessary, but he had needed it. That and the Remedy he had before breakfast. Shera thought of everything, and he was grateful she did.
He began to slow down as they reached the area that they might call home soon. They crested a hill, and were greeted to a general view of the area, facing eastward. Far in the distance loomed higher foothills than the ones that were in the settlement territory, covered in groves and grass and a few proper woods.
There was a wide hill surrounded by forest in a crescent shape, a river flowing three hundred yards from its base. Cloud figured that must be the site. It looked promising enough to him, and he wondered if Tifa felt the same way as the truck followed. It was certainly idyllic, with vast blue skies above them and hues of jade and emerald in front of their vision.
After a little more driving they reached the top of the wide hill, and Cloud shut off Fenrir and helped Denzel off. The two walked towards the truck as everyone hopped out and stretched. He put his hands in the pockets of his black jacket, his white T-shirt fluttering from a breeze.
"There's a lot of land to develop," Cloud started as he looked towards the river. He remembered Reeve said there was a lake in the area, and he thought it might have been hidden by the hill they now stood on. He closed his eyes and sniffed the air. He could smell prey animals and a few monsters.
Reeve nodded and looked about before pulling some paper out from his dark jacket. Cloud peeked his eyes open. He wondered if he would ever get used to seeing Reeve wear something besides a suit; his clothing was relaxed but he still gave out the aura of a powerful person. Straight, dark pants, a fashionable dark blue shirt, and a jacket. "The data suggests there's some limited farmland to the north, so you'll probably be dependent on imports for staples."
Tifa hummed. "We have to find things to export, so we have an income after we set up shop. I could make Corel Wine in large batches, but that's only one source of income."
Cloud put his hands on his hips and thought. "There's a lake..." He looked at Reeve. "Are chocobos still in demand?"
Reeve nodded. "While they're slowly being replaced as beasts of burden, they'll always be desired for races."
"And meat and eggs," Tifa continued. They were rarer than chicken products, but still desired. Especially the eggs of rare chocobo breeds.
"And certain breeds for transport..." Cloud looked at Tifa and gave a cocky smirk. "Think I can still raise a chocobo?"
She smiled and laughed. "You were a natural at that."
"So, wine and chocobos for now. That's a good start, I think." Cloud thought about perhaps doing some monster exterminations as they waited for money to flow into the town. Villages almost always had a bounty on a rabble-rousing monster.
They explored the area, looking about the hill and some of the surrounding area. Barret watched as the children explored the stony shore of the river, and Cloud took some time to look through the forest that cradled the hill. He held Tifa's hand as he did so, and looked back at her with a questioning gaze. "What do you think?"
She stopped walking and leaned against a tree. She listened to the birds chirping above their heads. "It seems peaceful. Just...being so far away from people after all these years, it's going to take some getting used to."
Cloud pursed his lips as he came to stand in front of her. "I'm sorry," he said as his eyes looked downward.
"It's not your fault."
He let out a sigh and looked down and to the side. "I know..." Not that he believed it.
Tifa took his hand and pulled him close. The scent of his skin was comforting. "We'll get through it together, you know that. And you aren't the trouble at all." No, it was other people.
Cloud was about to sneak a kiss when a sound reached his ears. He put himself between Tifa and the sound, and waited. She peeked out from behind his shoulder, watching.
There was a grunt twenty yards away, then another. Out of the underbrush came an ugly, muscly boar. Cloud relaxed a little, and Tifa chuckled. The boar looked at them, huffed, then went about sniffing the ground again.
"That looks like a Nibel Boar. They make for some good bacon..."
Cloud looked back at her and blinked. "That's the kinda pig they used for bacon in Nibelheim?"
Tifa nodded. "Yeah. Did you get any when you were a kid? I learned how to cure it when I worked at the country store for a season."
Cloud's eyes glimmered, and he looked back at the boar before nodding. "Yeah. It was...really good." His mind was made up. 'Hunt boar, kill boar, give meat to Tifa, Tifa makes bacon.'
She put her hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his small trance. "We better get back."
"Right." Cloud looked about the woodlands again before walking towards the river. When they finally reached the group the children were trying to skip rocks across the surface of the lazy river. Denzel looked up at him with a curious gaze. "What do you guys think?"
Denzel looked back over the river. "It's nice...It's just kinda lonely."
Cloud nodded with a sigh. "It is, for now." He knew he had to keep the kids' spirits up. "I just need you guys to stay strong while we get this on track. It won't be lonely forever."
Zeph tossed a river stone from hand to hand. "Won't this have to be just for werewolves, though?"
Tifa shook her head. "We'll find some more...understanding people eventually."
"Werewolves are rare enough. Finding any that want to settle down would be rarer still," Reeve mused. "Still, the village will have to grow."
Zeph shifted on his feet; it was an uncomfortable thought. Still, he knew Cloud would keep them safe. Reggs wasn't bad, either. The thought almost made him laugh. He was beginning to feel more comfortable around the likes of Penny and Reggs, and maybe Hirdthag. It was in contrast to how he had been after he had been rescued, and while he still had that fear and loathing towards the creatures, he could put it aside for the few that proved they weren't out to eat him. "You'll make sure they're alright...Right?"
Cloud nodded. "No weirdos."
"You best sniff'em out beforehand, Spiky," Barret said.
"You bet."
Tifa bent down and smiled at Marlene. "What do you think, sweetie?"
The little girl shrugged. "It could use some flowers."
"Well, we'll get some seeds and grow some."
Cloud was still studying the area. The hill looked like it would be easily defendable, there was plenty of water, and there was a forest to hunt in. He thought about visiting the lake, but decided against it. He could look at whatever information Reeve had on it later. He looked towards his dark haired friend. "How long will it take to build this up?"
Reeve stroked his goatee. "A couple of months. It needs to be put on the grid for electricity and sewage, then a building plan has to be set up. We can talk about that when we get back."
"Alright."
They headed back to the vehicles, and Cloud helped Zeph onto the bike for the return trip. He looked back at the boy as he put his goggles on. "You've been taking all of this pretty well."
Zeph shrugged as he held onto Cloud's torso. "There's nothing I can do," he said helplessly.
Cloud looked away. He wasn't sure how to reply back immediately, but after a moment he said the only thing that came to mind. "Just hang in there. Things won't be the same, but they'll get better."
"You said that last night."
Cloud scrunched his brows together. "Did I?"
Zeph looked up at the back of his spiky head with a frown as his guardian turned the ignition. "Yeah...You were laying on the ground and saying stuff when we came by. Remember?"
"Oh. Right." Cloud could barely remember last night. He remembered the makeshift wedding, falling on Nanaki, and some bits and pieces after Vincent had helped him into the bedroom. When he woke up he had his face smashed into Barret's side while suffering from a raging headache.
As they drove off again, Cloud was cautiously optimistic for their future. Vincent and Nanaki would be in the Sleeping Forest by now, the Turks and the WRO were searching for the mob boss he would be taking care of, and Rocket Town would be a safe enough place for his family and Reggs to live in while they waited for their new home to be constructed.
With the Full Moon almost upon them, he would have to find a place outside the town where they could let loose. Yuffie had demanded he take her for a ride after calling her fat as an Adamantoise. He reluctantly agreed to it, even if he thought it was a silly thing to use to get her way. He wondered if Reggs would be ready for a practical stranger in his midst, but he figured if he made any move towards Yuffie he would put him in his place.
He was less worried about his father acting out. Did he really call him Dad last night, he wondered? Cloud didn't like the silence that he was treated to as they both sipped Remedies that morning. Hirdthag wouldn't even make eye contact. He smelled disconsolate, even as he gulped down the rest of the Remedy and nursed a cup of coffee.
Cloud had so many things running through his head. The good, the bad, and the downright mysterious. What would Vincent and Nanaki return with? Since Aerith said that it was never meant to be cured, it meant he was stuck like this permanently. There was no going back to the way things were before; but he figured he should be used to that by now. Was it a curse the Planet placed on humans, or a wild gift that went out of control? What was he supposed to be?
They came upon Rocket Town as the sun's rays came from a westerly direction, golden and much warmer than they would be in Edge. Still, it was dimming ever so much as the hours went by, and Cloud was glad they made it back before it grew too dark. He frowned as they came up to Cid's house.
There was a group of people huddled by the door.
Cloud quickly parked Fenrir outside the picket fence in front of the house and helped Zeph off. He swiftly walked to the gaggle of people harassing Shera for information.
"My friend said the WRO was housin' werewolves in Edge, and he saw 'em leave in a truck like the one you had parked outside!"
Shera was putting her hands up to calm her neighbor. "Jake, will you calm down, please..." She looked about the people surrounding her in a semicircle, her face a nervous wreck.
Cloud narrowed his eyes. "Hey!" The group of people turned their heads to look at him. Most recognized him, though a few were complete strangers.
A short man with red hair that stood about as tall as Cloud walked towards him. "Hey, I remember you. You're that delivery boy that came in once in a while!" He gave a suspicious glare with his amber eyes. "There's rumors going around that the WRO is dallying with werewolves, and we're worried they were brought here."
"And why is that?"
An old lady spoke up. "Because we saw the bunch of ya groupin' up here after what happened in Edge!"
Cloud pursed his lips and looked back at his family as they waited anxiously by the fence. Cid said they would listen to him, but he wasn't Cid. He looked back. Would they even listen to him? If he told the truth, they would just recoil from him.
"Why are you treating him like this?" Cloud turned his head to see Denzel stomping past him and standing in front of the group of people. "That's Cloud, and he's the one that beat Sephiroth! He's the reason you're alive!"
The red head looked surprised. "You're that guy? The dude Cid talks about?"
Cloud nodded. "Uh, yeah." He took a tentative step towards Denzel and put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, buddy...I-I think I can handle it from here."
Denzel glared back and shook his head, then came closer to the group after shaking off Cloud's hand. "You're just as ungrateful and dumb as those people in Edge!"
The older lady tsked and pointed a finger at him. "That's no way to speak to your elders, boy!"
"Denzel!" Tifa was walking up behind him now.
He scowled at the woman. "Why not? I'm calling as I see it!"
The group looked agitated and a little confused. Cloud wasn't really sure what to say. What would they do? They were hounding Shera for answers, and she was clamming up. Shelke was by her side, at least. "Everyone, I—"
"What the fuck is going on?"
Cloud turned around to see Cid walking to the side of his fence, a cigarette between his lips and a consternated frown on his face. He entered the yard and put his hands on his hips. "Well?"
"Uh, Cid..." A tall man with dirty blond hair rubbed the back of his head. "I-I'm sure you heard what happened in Edge yesterday—"
"Yeah, a bunch of numbskulls attacked my friends' house, and they had to flee."
The red head blinked blankly at the old pilot. "They said it was werewolves! They killed a man!"
Cid rolled his eyes. "It was a goddamn thug! You don't like that I'm keepin' my friends here until they can move to their new home, you can fuckin' leave Rocket Town!"
The older lady stomped her foot. "We don't have to accept monsters in this town!"
"Cloud isn't a monster!" Denzel growled as Tifa attempted to ease him away from the agitated group.
"That's fine, I wasn't askin' you to. You'll accept my friends as long as they're here." Cid dismissively shrugged before taking a drag off of his cigarette.
"But...it's almost a Full Moon," the red head pointed out. "They can't stay."
Cloud sighed. "We won't be in town that night, okay? Look, we just want to move on. We aren't gonna hurt anyone."
"I don't like this one bit."
"It's Cloud, though...shouldn't we give him a chance?"
"I don't know."
Cid blew out a long stream of smoke. "I trust 'em with Shera and my life. If there's a goddamn problem, take it up with me. Now get the hell outta here!"
The group mumbled between themselves, but eventually left the yard, giving curious glances and suspicious stares at Cloud. They didn't know who the other werewolves were. As he watched the last disgruntled and confused citizen leave, the warrior wondered if they were still safe in Rocket Town.
They decided very quickly it had been a very bad idea to enter Edge. It was night, the safest time to enter the city for Penny, but even then she had to sneak into an abandoned corner of an alley to change back and dress before someone saw her. The scent of fear and anxiety flooded the city, and very occasionally a group of armed citizens would pass by the place she and Ithey hid in.
The teens huddled their deerskins closer to their bodies. What were these people looking for? What happened after they left? The two looked about before leaving the alley and heading towards Seventh Heaven. Maybe Cloud and Tifa had some answers.
But it worried Penny that she could not smell Tifa's cooking as they came closer.
Unease welled in her gut. "Ithey, I don't think they're at the bar," she whispered into his ear.
He frowned. "Why not?"
"I can't smell Tifa's food."
Ithey chewed on his lower lip as his eyes scouted the back street in front of them. "Maybe she closed the bar for the day."
They approached the back of Seventh Heaven but paused as they came towards it. There were two peacekeepers at the back of the bar. They glanced at the teens, their shoulders tense. Ithey quickly pointed towards a side street that lead to the front of the bar and the peacekeepers visibly relaxed before giving a nod.
This street held more peacekeepers in front of the bar and a few hecklers. Penny blinked as she looked back and forth at the two sides. There wasn't just fear and anxiety now, there was anger.
"Are you hidin' more of those beasts in there?"
A peacekeeper sighed. "Move along, sir."
Ithey approached the group of citizens and peacekeepers, Penny walking behind him sheepishly. "What's going on?"
The heckler looked at Ithey with a frown. "Have you been under a rock the last couple of days? The WRO has been holdin' super werewolves!"
Penny's mouth parted in surprise. "What!?"
"Uh, we've been outta town for a while, sir. We're visiting," Ithey said, trying to restrain the look of shock on his face.
The man nodded in understanding. "Ah, I see. Yeah, one of them killed a man, and another had been livin' in this bar with the bartender. Some say it was a family of werewolves, but I don't think that." He crossed his arms and shook his head. "Tifa always had a soft spot for the hopeless, but she went too far with that weirdo living with her and her kids."
Both teens' eyes widened. "What happened to them?"
"They left the city, I heard." He shot a sharp look at the peacekeepers. "The WRO must be keeping their project's subjects safe after those vigilantes attacked the other night." The man shuddered as he turned his head to look at them again. "Those people who mobbed the bar were lucky that monster didn't maul them all to death, I'll tell you what."
"Cloud wouldn't do that," Penny said automatically.
The man narrowed his eyes. "You know him?" he said loudly. Some of the other people nearby heard him.
Penny covered her mouth, and Ithey put himself between them. "Yeah, we do. He didn't deserve to get pushed out of his home by a bunch of self-righteous jerks."
"What the hell would you know? He coulda been responsible for some of the disappearances in the city!" said a woman.
Penny shook her head. "He kept the city safe from the ones who ate people!"
"You ran the one guy out of town that was trying to keep you all safe!"
Another heckler pointed at Ithey. "They could be monsters, too!"
Penny held onto Ithey's shoulder. "I think we need to go!"
Ithey turned his head and nodded. He let Penny take the lead as a few shouts came from behind them, some from the mob and some from peacekeepers trying to stop the madness. She could sniff her way out of the city, and guide him in the dark while he watched their backs. If they could lose them in the strange alleys of Edge they could escape, then hopefully find one of Cloud's friends.
The streets smelled faintly of some stench that Penny found irritable to her nose and eyes. She wasn't sure what to do. On the one hand they had to find someone that could tell them where their friends went, but on the other hand they were in some serious trouble and had to leave Edge before they were killed. These people were out for blood.
And Penny just wasn't the fighting type. Sure, she had no problems hunting or slaying monsters with Ithey, but when it came to people she just clammed up. Certainly years ago it would have been different, especially in her first year as a werewolf, but she felt she had successfully put humans into a separate category from prey and monsters. Maybe she was a little too successful, she thought.
Of course that was one of the reasons they were in Edge right now. They were hoping Cloud and Tifa could keep them for a few days; a couple of hunters had taken temporary residence in her forest to hunt. It was a few days before the next Full Moon, too. Since it was now widespread knowledge that werewolves existed, it would have been dangerous to stay. They could have silver bullets, and that would kill her.
She and Ithey would have to leave Edge now as well before someone killed them.
"Get them! They're monsters!"
Penny let out a squeak of a groan. She hated being called a monster. When she thought of monsters she thought of violent creatures picking for a fight, or the people that made up Junon's underworld. Maybe she could look scary sometimes, she could admit that, but she wasn't monster material in her opinion.
The two ducked into a dark alley and hoped they could find their way out of the city. It was dark, but Penny could see for them both. She really wished she could find someone, anyone. Evan lived too close to the bar, and she had no idea where Rosa lived. Edge was like a maze of streets and alleys. The only thing assisting her were the scents of familiar people that were either no longer here or somewhere she couldn't get to.
Something struck her head and she winced; Ithey turned his head to look, then pushed her to go faster. "They're gaining on us! Penny, do what you have to do. We can get more clothing later!"
She groaned but gave a quick glance behind her. They were close, but she had enough time to stop and change. She sprinted ahead a few yards, stopped, and quickly changed as she kicked off the slightly oversized boots she was wearing. She felt bad that she had to tear apart the jeans and sweater Tifa had given her, but it could be replaced.
Ithey caught up and hopped onto her, and she charged away from the shouts and fearful screams as tattered threads fell from her fur. Penny wasn't quite sure which way to go, but she let her intuition take her which ever way it decided. It seemed like a good idea, anyway.
A sharp pain went through the skin of her lower forearm, and her ears rang. She let out a high pitched scream. Ithey pat her shoulder. "That way! They're shooting at us!"
Penny whined and took the path Ithey recommended as another bullet whizzed by her ear, scorching the tip. More junctions, and she turned several more corners. She ended up in a larger alley, attracting the attention of a band of vigilantes she appeared right next to. Her green eyes widened. "Oh..."
"Holy fuck!"
"Penny, run!" Ithey punched the nearest vigilante in the face, but not before he swiped a silver dagger into Penny's torso. She screeched as pain exploded in her side and dark smoke spilled out with her blood. She reared up and backhanded another, but in her panicked state the next person was raked across the chest with her claws before she fell back onto all fours and ran off as fast as her injured body would let her.
It immediately struck her afterwards, with shouts and a human howl of pain behind her: She just hurt, and possibly killed, a human being. She whined at the thought. Penny never wanted to be like them, some violent monster that sowed misery out of bitterness. No, it was spur of the moment, she had to do something...right?
"I can get off if you want," Ithey offered after they disappeared into the shadows again. It snapped her out of her worrying thoughts.
She shook her head. The pain was horrible despite the adrenaline rush, but she knew she couldn't stop. Not now. Every panicked scream and shout set her further on edge, and her breath was becoming ragged from her chest injury and the cold air.
It was growing darker, as if they were leaving the city behind, but the sky did not greet them. Penny was aware enough to notice that there was some starry sky, in fact, but plenty was covered by what looked like a plate.
They were under Midgar.
All she knew was that they needed to hide and find shelter quick. Her side was still bleeding, and that would leave a trail. Penny wandered through a mishmash of partially habitated shacks, the dwellers holing themselves inside as soon as they caught sight of her silhouette. Fear laid thick in the air still, and she limped on.
She stumbled after a few more minutes, needing to catch her breath. They had possibly lost the groups hunting her down, but they still needed a hiding spot. Ithey slid off of her back as she huffed and panted. He put a hand on her ear and rubbed as he looked about.
"Heh, I wish I could see as well as you could in the dark." He ran a hand through his raven hair.
Penny looked about again, then scratched at what looked like a manhole cover three feet from where she sat. Ithey felt around; it was heavy. "I really hate to ask for help..."
She let out a tired, amused huff. Ithey always wanted to be the alpha. Penny grasped the manhole cover with her claws and popped it open, wincing at the pain in her arm. "Go first," she grumbled. He quickly did so before she joined him in the dark sewers of Midgar. Penny's feet hit the ground, and she grasped at the cover with her good arm, replacing it over the hole.
They were shrouded in darkness, but Penny could see a door in the dry walkway. She guided Ithey to it, and as luck would have it it was unlocked. She sniffed the stale air after Ithey opened it, but smelled no one else's scent in the room. There were metal shelves with a few knick-knacks and a handful of burlap sacks that looked bug eaten.
She limped in after him, and collapsed in front of the door after closing it. Ithey looked about with his hands for some sort of light source, and after a few minutes found a partially spent candle and a pack of matches. "Looks like someone had been down here after all," he mused.
Her paw went up towards her face. There was still blood on it. A horrible guilt welled up in her heart as she stared at it. She left the city to keep out of trouble, to stay away from humans so no one had to be hurt. Had she been too naive to think she could keep from that forever? She was beginning to wonder if she was a monster deep down for maiming someone. Penny looked away from her bloodied paw, feeling sick, to watch Ithey struggle with the matches.
The first match was a dud, but he got the second one to light. The candle wick took to the flame quickly, and he came over to Penny to look over her wound. Carefully, he studied the charred, weeping injury. It didn't look particularly deep, but he wasn't sure if the silver would have possibly poisoned her. Neither of them had dealt with silver injuries, except once while they still lived in Junon; it had only touched her skin, not cut through her flesh. Her breaths were a little labored to Ithey, and that worried him.
Or so it seemed, until she started huffing and whining. She was crying. Ithey put the candle down next to him, then sat and cradled her head in his lap. "We'll get out of this mess, Penny...We will. We always do."
He watched over her until her whimpers became pained, deep breaths. He only found sleep hours later as he thought how they could possibly escape the city in one piece, and hopefully, somehow get ahold of Cloud and Tifa.
