Chapter 8: Sweet as Cherry Wine

"Rise and shine, ya mangy beast."

Still blurry from last night's dreaming, Gau awoke to find Relm glaring at him. "N'ehh? Why so pissed off?" he asked her, just starting into a stretch.

"You left me. You left me to face that ball of feathers and madness on my own."

"Wh- I thought you were strong enough to kill her on your own!"

"I thought you'd at least help me out." She leaned forward as if preparing to pounce on him. "That thing has magic powers beyond what we can comprehend, and I'm just a simple human being. It'd at least take the two of us to subdue her."

"Didn't you have Sabin and Interceptor on your side?"

At the sound of his name, the great golden mutant raised his head and sniffed about.

"Yeah, and look what she did to him!" Relm snapped, gesturing to the sleeping Interceptor, with his scarred-over socket where his front leg should be.

Gau scoffed, lifting himself to his feet. "Damn thing was old enough to die anyway. Didn't even stand a chance."

"EXCUSE ME?" she snapped, gripping her companion by the shoulders. "This damn thing is the only thing I have to remember my father by! And yet you insult him? Say he's better off dead, huh?"

Afraid of her sheer power, Gau backed out of the abandoned ruin of a house they'd used as shelter for the night, into the light. As if it could be called light. It was raining outside, a brisk and cool summer storm. Oh, why did it have to be Relm? Why, out of all people, were they the only two normal human beings alive? If this whole apocalypse thing kept up, he'd have to repopulate the continent, and perhaps the world, with her. Eesh, what a nightmare.

"I-I didn't mean that! I didn't know you had such an emotional attachment to him! All I'm trying to say is–"

"YOU FUCKING LEFT ME. YOU RAN AWAY LIKE A LITTLE COWARD. You wanted me to die, didn't you, you flea-ridden hippie?"

This was it. This was the final straw. He stood up to his full height, towering over her as if to assert dominance. "Can't you let me have feelings for a change?" he spat. "I'm a human being like you, and yet you chastise me for being afraid" With every word, the storm grew more dire, the wind picked up to a ghastly howl, and the rain lashed in icy sheets. He began to change too; his fangs and claws grew longer and more curved, and green feathers sprouted from his forearms.

She looked up at him and swallowed, her tears lost in the rain. "You… you're one of them, aren't you?"

"I'm what?"

"You're a mutant. No wonder you didn't care. No wonder you didn't dare to take care of me in my time of need. And I'm out here living a shitty life, my dad is probably dead, my grandpa is DEFINITELY dead, and all I have to remember my family by is this three-legged old mutt!"

"Well, at least you had a father! Mine left me to survive on the plains with a pack of wolves, and the last time I saw him, I ate him!"

There was a melancholy silence as the two stood, face to face in the roaring storm. In the silence, Gau reverted to his more human form. Here he was more vulnerable, just a man forced to grow up too fast in the unforgiving wilderness. And here was Relm, just as battered, broken and burned-out as he was

Ten years… where had the time gone?

Eventually, she broke the silence.

"You… you what?"

"I ate my dad."

She repeated his words in a mix of disbelief, disgust and awe. "You… you ate your dad?"

"Yep. He was being an abusive prick, so, I, uh… snapped his neck, tore him open and ate all his organs."

"Really now. How'd they taste?"

"Weird, stringy, faintly like piss."

"What about the bones? Did you do eat those too?"

"Of course I didn't eat the bones! They were all weird and splintery!"

"Then what did you do with them?"

"Ground 'em up, buried 'em out back. The plants probably really needed it."

She wrapped her hands around his waist. "You sick fuck. I like you."

He smiled, but his breaths were still heaving. It was as if the sky cried with him.

She couldn't help but ask him. She knew he'd tear her hand off at the very mention of the question, but she had to ask him.

"Gau… what's wrong?"

"Ngh… grrrrr… rrrrrr…"

He wanted to tell her. He wanted to tell her how everything had built up into an untamable ball of despair. How he'd been rejected by the human world and deemed unfit for the wolf world; how there was nowhere he truly belonged. How much his dying father's words stung him when all he wanted to do was say a quick hello and are-you-okay. HIS GODDAMN DEAD DAD, whose bones were probably gathering lichen somewhere. Burn in hell, you uncaring asshole.

Most of all, how he'd hurt Relm by running away. All those regrets and worries tangled up and choked him before he could say anything. Once more, he dropped to the ground, fangs bared among lank, wet locks that clung to his face, claws bared, eyes warm with tears.

"G-Gau… did I hurt you?" Relm lowered her voice almost to a whisper, so as not to scare him, and tentatively reached out a hand.

In a frenzy, the beast-blooded vagabond pounced on his friend, giving her the tightest, warmest hug he could muster. All he could do was hold her and break out into a sorrowful bout of baying.

"Aoooohhhh… sniff... I hurt you! I can't hurt youuuuu! I'm a monster, a monster! OOOOOOoooo…"

In that moment, she realized what was wrong. He had fled because he was scared. And her dumb ass had dismissed it as sheer cowardice. Maybe she had gone in over her head too; maybe she was a coward for not following behind him to protect him. All she could do was give him pats on the back and reassuring words.

"Oh, puppy, I'm sorry… I hurt you too. I didn't know I would, but my stupid ass went and did…"

For a while, there was only the pattering of rain as the two held each other. It had lessened to a mild sprinkle since the day had started, but it was still there, rhythmic, almost melodic. Then came a set of pawsteps through the wet litter of leaves, one larger, one smaller and missing a paw, and a low, hoarse, familiar voice.

"Are… you… sad?"

With a sniffle, Gau looked up to see the muzzle of his old friend.

"Sa… Sabin? It's really you…"

"Hush… it's okay… now…" Sabin lay his head on Gau's shoulder, letting the soft touch of his fur and the calming heat of his steady breaths calm the feral wanderer. "I am here…"

"We're all here," Relm added. "Me, and Sabin, and Interceptor… and Cyan. We've all got you."

So it's true, Gau thought, I'm not alone. But she is. In that instant, he knew what to do. He gave Relm a sincere smile and wrapped one arm around her shoulder.

"And I've got you. I promise, I won't leave your side anymore."

For the first time ever, he planted a little kiss on her forehead. Not a true romantic kiss, one where both of their lips touched, just a gentle reminder that he was here for her. Maybe it was love, maybe it wasn't. Who knew?

She grinned back at him. "Come on, scruffy. Let's head back to the orchard. Maybe a peach or two would make you feel better."