A/N: These are short stories just for fun and feels. Don't think about them too much. Stories may not be in chronological order. This fic is also available on Ao3.

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore!"

Lena, sitting at the table, winced at the sound of Annette's voice. She looked over to see her friend just entering the room, furiously brushing down her lab coat. Upon further inspection, it seemed it was covered all over in fine golden hairs.

Unfortunately, Lena could guess from this detail alone what had transpired. Even so, she thought she'd ask anyway. "What happened?"

"What happened," Annette snapped, though obviously her anger was not directed at Lena, "is that a certain idiot thought it'd be funny to turn into a wolf, hide, then jump out and rub his shed hair all over me when I was heading back to the lab!"

As she suspected. Lena knew, because Shiden had done the exact same thing to her yesterday, which for some reason had also bothered Shin, who had been with her at the time. "We shouldn't be too surprised," Lena said with a sigh. "It's spring. They can't help that they're shedding."

Annette refused to be placated. "I get that, but the problem is they're all shedding at once. Hair everywhere! There has to be a limit!" Pranks aside, it was turning into a bit of an issue.

Never before had so many werewolves been gathered in one place, unless one counted the 86th sector. A few werewolves shedding wasn't a big deal, and the ones in the Federacy had managed to keep themselves clean without inconveniencing anyone else, but with scores from the Republic adding to their numbers… It was rare to find areas that didn't have a fine layer of fur settled over every surface, especially the furniture. Even the higher ups were getting a bit fed up, if Willem's face had been anything to go by.

Lena knew there wasn't a lot that could be done besides letting the period pass, but she decided saying that to Annette wouldn't be in her best interest. Instead she poured her some tea as her friend marched over to her desk and promptly sat in her favorite swivel chair. Just then, they heard the creak of the door being opened again, and Dustin staggered in. To the girls' bemusement, he too had fur stuck to his clothes. Unlike Annette, though, he seemed to have a much larger amount, all different colors.

"Shedding?" Lena asked.

Dustin nodded as he wearily fell into the seat next to Lena. "They all ganged up on me. I never saw it coming. So much hair. So...much…" He dropped his head into his hands. Werewolves truly were a mischievous bunch.

Lena patted his shoulder and poured him a cup. "To think they do this every year…"

"I don't even want to think about next year," Annette groaned. The other two chuckled at that, but there was an almost imperceptible strain in the atmosphere at those words.

Even as they sat here, the war with the Legion, the endless army of undead, still raged on with no end in sight. Concepts like "next year" felt rather foreign to them.

Before the mood could fall any lower, the three Alba were shaken out of their thoughts by the door opening yet again, and a cheery voice hailing them from the other side. "There you all are!"

Grethe stepped inside, waving at them.

Lena blinked, surprised. "Colonel Wenzel? What brings you here?"

Grethe beamed. "I may or may not have heard about you three discussing our current hairy predicament, so I came to tell you that a solution has just been found."

"Really?" Dustin breathed, hopeful.

Annette was a bit more skeptical. "You mean for all the werewolves, right?"

"But of course," Grethe said easily. "And when you think about it, it's actually quite simple."

This did intrigue Lena, even if she was, like Annette, a little doubtful. "So what is it?"

And that is when Grethe winked and put a finger to her lips. "I'll tell you...on the next full moon."

With that, she vanished through the doorway.

"Loves her theatrics, doesn't she?" Annette muttered.

"I wonder what it could be, though," Dustin mused. "And what does she mean, 'quite simple'? Is there something we're missing?"

"I suppose we'll just have to wait until the next full moon to see," Lena said. Which would be in just a few days. Whatever it was, she just hoped it would do as Grethe said it would and put an end to Lena somehow waking up with hair in her mouth.

–––––––––

"Grooming?"

Lena could not keep the note of consternation out of her voice as she took in the scene before her. Set up right outside the base were about two dozen stalls, each with a person armed with a hand brush and a large comb, as well as other supplies. Lena picked up a bottle from one of the stalls and read the label.

"...Dog shampoo?"

"The leave-in kind," Grethe supplied. Lena gave the item back to the stall owner before turning to Grethe.

"So, your idea is to turn the base...into a dog spa?"

"We're technically outside the base, but that's the gist of it, yes. We'll have to find a way to get rid of the hair we collect–that sort of thing can wreak havoc on our plumbing–but ultimately I think it's as good a solution as any." She smiled, but something about it seemed devious. "And the best part is, they'll all be stuck in their wolf forms until tomorrow, so there's no getting out of this one."

The full moon was indeed upon them, even if the moon itself was not out yet. Such was the price werewolves had to pay for their power. It made Lena glad she was a human. Or at least, not a werewolf. She placed a finger on her chin, thinking. Would they really go for something like this, though? They do have their pride, after all. Even if it's for their own good, to be treated like common house dogs…

"Don't you worry," Grethe assured her, as if following her train of thought. "Most of our werewolf population here at base have fully consented to being brushed down. They don't mention it, but I suspect they'd be as glad to be rid of their excess hair as we are. See? Here they come now."

Lena turned to where Grethe was pointing. Sure enough, a stream of furry dots flowed out of the base entrance and towards the booths. Soon after, the wolves split into lines, one at each stall. Lena had to admit that seeing the massive creatures being brushed and combed like mastiffs made her smile a little, especially since more than a few of them seemed to be enjoying it.

"I'm glad that's been settled without incident," she said with a sigh. At this rate, they wouldn't have to wait the normal two weeks for the shedding to cease on its own.

"Not quite."

Lena blinked at Grethe's words. Was there more to be done?

The colonel's expression turned wry. "I did say most of the werewolves had come of their own volition. There are still a few that require a bit of...persuading." She patted Lena on the shoulder. "And that's where you all come in."

Before she knew it, Lena was seated at a round table with Annette and Dustin as Grethe handed them each a small pouch. Inside were the same tools Lena had seen at the grooming stalls–a comb, a bottle of leave-in conditioner, a bag to collect hair, and a brush meant for large dogs.

"Your mission is simple," Grethe said. She gave them a sheet of paper with a list of names printed on it. "These are just a few of the wolves who have yet to appear for brushing. We have specialists taking care of the rest, so you only have to focus on these ones. Ask them if they'd be willing to see one of the groomers for treatment. If they aren't…" She folded her arms. "I trust you know what to do."

"I don't know about this," Dustin muttered, echoing Lena's thoughts.

Annette was of a different mind. "I don't know," she said, a devilish smirk breaking out on her face. "I think I might enjoy this." Lena followed her gaze to the name she was focused on, and swallowed nervously. She hoped for his sake he surrendered without a fight.

Scanning the list of names, she saw with a sinking heart that many of them were her friends from the Spearhead and Brisingamen squadrons. That many? And against just the three of us? "I've never even owned a dog," Lena said, though she disliked making the comparison. "Much less groomed one. How do we–"

Grethe waved her hand dismissively. "It's not hard. Just brush until the hair stops coming off." Lena thought there was a bit more to it than that, but Grethe was already turning away from them. "Alright, soldiers. You have your mission. Go forth, and put an end to the crisis we now face! Go!"

Startled into action, the trio hastily gathered their supplies. As they headed out, they discussed tactics.

"Let's try to talk things out, if we can," Lena suggested. "We don't have the energy to chase down and groom every single werewolf on this list. If we can convince them to go on their own, then problem solved, right?"

Dustin nodded. "Sounds good to me," he said.

"Annette?" Lena prompted when the other girl didn't respond.

"It's an option," Annette said, noncommittal. "But as long as they're clean in the end, does it really matter how we do it?"

"...I suppose not, but I'd rather–"

"Glad we're in agreement. I'll see you guys later." With that she jogged off in some unspecified direction.

"Wait, do you already know who you're going to first?" Dustin called.

Annette's response was gleeful. "Yep! He and I have some unfinished business. I'll catch up when it's done!"

She vanished around a corner, leaving Lena and Dustin to exchange glances. "Whoever she's gunning for, I hope he goes down easy," he said, which would be the second time he's spoken her thoughts.

"She has the right idea though," Lena said, securing the pouch strap over her shoulder. "There's no use standing around. Let's get this over with."

"Good luck," Dustin told her, his nervousness evident. It was warranted. Out of all of them, for some reason the werewolves liked teasing him the most. They likely would not make it easy for him.

Lena gave him a reassuring smile. "And you." They saluted each other before parting ways, each going off in a different direction.

Let the battle begin.

–––––––––

After so much planning and prep, the confrontations that followed were so easy Lena was actually somewhat disappointed.

Be it sheer luck or coincidence, she ended up meeting a majority of the werewolves on the list. And all of them had agreed to see the groomers without complaint. Lena had stood there, dumbfounded, brush and comb at the ready, as each one dipped their head in consent–reluctantly, in Kurena's case–and trotted off.

Lena scratched her head as she watched Raiden's tail duck out of sight. Is it supposed to be this easy? she thought.

–––––––––

Dustin peered around the corner, spying his target. She was sitting with her back to him, not moving a muscle.

Her voice jolted him, dashing his hopes that he might have the upper hand. "Are you going to stand there and watch me all day?" she asked teasingly.

Dustin stepped out of his hiding place, trying to appear confident and not quite succeeding. "You know why I'm here, right?"

"Perhaps," Anju said.

"Then there's no need to stand on ceremony." Dustin placed his fists on his hips. "So, will you go to the groomers, or stay and fight?"

Anju actually smiled at him, which was when he knew he'd dug his own grave. "If I'm allowed to choose, then…"

She moved so quickly, Dustin didn't even have time to move a finger. She snatched the pouch that hung at his side, neatly slipping the strap up and over his shoulder. Dustin whirled, stunned, as she placed it between her paws, then crouched down over it, hindquarters up. Her tail wagged, and to him it waved like a flag of doom.

"If you can get this back, then I'll allow you to use it on me," she yipped. It was clear she was enjoying herself.

"You're really not going to make this easy, are you?" Dustin sighed, weary.

"Not in the slightest."

–––––––––

Theo lay curled up on his bed, dozing. He wanted to get some sketching done, but obviously his paws were useless at picking anything up, so he decided to pass the time by sleeping. This didn't mean he was trapped in his room; the door handles could be pushed down and opened that way, so he was free to go elsewhere if he wanted–he just didn't feel the need. Later in the night, he would join up with the others and go for a run, but for now he was content to lay there and not do anything.

He smirked as he thought back to a few days earlier, when he'd pulled that prank on Annette. Her face had been something behold. Dunno what the big deal is, he thought. It's just a little hair. Humans got up in arms for the smallest things. Still, it had been pretty funny, and it temporarily took his mind off the itchiness that always came with shedding his coat.

Just then he heard a knock at his door. "It's open," he called, not wanting to move from his position. The handle turned, and in walked Annette. She had some kind of bag slung over her shoulder, which kind of put it at odds with her lab coat.

Speaking of, he could still see a couple of hairs stuck to it, which made his tail wag. "I think the dry cleaners conned you," he said with a smirk. "You've still got hair on your coat."

"Do I?" Annette asked, though she did not look to check. Her eyes had been trained on him since she walked in, which for some reason made him uneasy. "Makes sense. Dog hair is surprisingly hard to clean."

Theo narrowed his eyes. "Wolf hair."

Annette scoffed. "Is that what this is? I thought so at first, but then I figured only a dog would jump out at people and knock them over when they least expect it."

"You're still mad about that?" Theo whined. "C'mon, it was funny! It's not my fault you don't have any sense of humor." He cocked his head. "Why're you here, anyway?"

"You haven't gone to the groomers."

Theo scratched his ear, dislodging a tuft of fur, which he knew would bother Annette. Sure enough, her eyebrow twitched, though she remained otherwise composed. "So? I don't have to if I don't want to."

Annette smiled, but there was no warmth in her voice. "So you won't do it, then? That's good. Now I don't have to feel bad for not listening to Lena."

Too late, Theo connected the dots. He jumped down from his bed, but Annette blocked the door. She withdrew a brush and a comb from her pouch, wielding one in each hand like a sword.

"That supposed to scare me?" Theo laughed. "There's a handle on that door, you know. All I have to do is get past you and I'm home fr–"

Click.

He broke off, ears twitching. He knew that sound well. It was the sound of the lock engaging. And while wolves could turn handles with their paws if they put enough weight behind it, there was nothing they could do against locks.

Annette advanced on him, and Theo cowered, his tail tucked between his legs. "H-Hey, it doesn't have to be like this! I'm sorry, okay? I'll go to the groomers now, so stop looking at me like that!"

She ignored him.

"At least be gentle!" he pleaded as her shadow fell over him.

She ignored that, too.

–––––––––

Lena received status updates from her two companions as they went. Theo had been subdued, as had Anju, though Lena wondered about the latter. Dustin had made it sound as though she gave in of her own volition, so perhaps a compromise had been reached? She decided not to ask about Annette's situation.

All the others had willingly agreed to visit the groomers, which left only two werewolves left on the list. Both of them made her anxious, though for very different reasons.

Shin and Shiden.

It was Shiden she ran into first. She was lounging on a sofa, and looked up expectantly when Lena came up to her.

"Erm, hello Shiden."

Shiden grinned knowingly. "Your Majesty."

"W-Well, I see you haven't gone to be brushed yet, so I've come to ask if you would consider doing so now."

Shiden tilted her head. "What happens if I don't feel like it? Are you gonna groom me yourself?"

Lena pulled the comb from her pouch. She stared the wolf down. "If it comes to that, then yes. But I think it's for everyone's best interest if you go on your own."

She held Shiden's gaze for a long moment, mentally bracing herself. Then she heard a chuckle, and the wolf's dual-colored eyes broke contact. Shiden stood, stretched, and leaped down from her perch. She shook herself, much to Lena's chagrin.

"Alrighty. Guess I'll get goin', then."

Lena stared at her, slack-jawed. "Really? Just like that?"

Shiden strode past her. "Who am I to disobey an order from Her Majesty? 'Sides, I heard getting brushed can feel kinda nice this time of year. Might as well try it."

"Oh. Okay. Uhm, well, thank you for your cooperation." Lena now felt even more confused than ever, but she wasn't about to let go of her lucky streak. Shiden surrendering had given her the confidence she needed to face her final challenge. Her heart raced with anticipation.

Really, how hard could it be? As Lena set off, a small part of her couldn't help but hope that this last werewolf actually let her use her brushes.

Unbeknownst to her, Shiden stood watching from the shadows as she left, her eyes following Lena's every movement until the silver-haired girl was out of sight.

"You sure about this?" Shana asked as she trotted up, her coat neat and freshly kempt. "That was a golden opportunity you just let slip, you know."

"We're supposed to stick to the plan, remember?" Shiden replied. "I can't be the only one who goes off-script. Can't say I wasn't tempted, though."

"I'll bet."

Shiden huffed, disgruntled. "That damn Reaper better thank me for this."

"He'd have to know what we're up to in order to do that," Shana told her. She nudged her friend's shoulder with her nose. "Come on. You'll feel better after you're brushed, trust me."

Shiden glanced one last time in the direction Lena had gone before following Shana. "Alright."

The ball is in your court, Li'l Reaper. Don't screw this up.

–––––––––

She found him not in his room, but outside. He sat looking out over the horizon, his black fur tinged in orange and red, and she couldn't help but marvel. He looked every bit the mysterious, majestic animal a wolf was thought to be. She didn't bother to hide her presence–not that she could, anyway–and as she approached, he turned his head in her direction.

"Lena," he greeted.

"Hello, Shin," she responded.

His eyes found the pouch. "What's with the bag?"

"Oh, this is…" She couldn't very well say they're grooming supplies, could she? Not to his face. "...I heard you haven't gone to the groomers yet." That wasn't much better, now that she thought about it.

Shin looked puzzled. "That's right." He hadn't gone, because the others had told him not to. And then Raiden had told him to leave the base, sit on a hill somewhere, and watch the sunset for a while. Shin had decided to humor them, since they'd been insistent, but now he wondered if that had been wise in the long run.

"Well, I…I came to...I was wondering if…" Her courage was siphoned off with each and every trembling word she spoke, and soon Lena wanted nothing more than to bury herself. Shin watched her all the while, politely waiting for her to get her point across. And eventually, she did.

"I thought that, if you're not okay with being groomed with a crowd watching, then maybe...I could do it for you?"

Shin's eyes widened slightly, and Lena's face flushed. She had been too bold. But while she mentally berated herself, Shin shifted on his paws.

So. That's why they were acting strange. Shin didn't know whether to feel exasperated or grateful, and decided he would figure that out later. Lena was looking away from him, so she thankfully didn't see his nervousness. He had a bit more trouble hiding it from his voice as he responded.

"Alright."

Lena looked up, surprised. "...Really?"

It seemed she had expected him to put up a fight. He waved his tail, amused. "If you're offering, yes. I would like to get rid of all this hair as soon as possible, if you don't mind. And...I know you'll be gentle."

He didn't look directly at her as he said the last sentence. Lena chalked it up to him being unfamiliar with grooming, and therefore not knowing what to expect. And yet, he still trusted her to be careful with his coat and not cause him any pain or discomfort. It made her heart hurt, how kind he was.

"Thank you." She came to his side, withdrew her supplies, and held up the brush. "It'll be over before you know it," she promised.

Secretly, they both hoped that wouldn't be the case.

–––––––––

"Well done, all of you!" Grethe's usual smile greeted them as the three Alba staggered into the room. "I trust there weren't any issues?"

"None here," Annette said, looking oddly satisfied.

"It was about what I expected," Dustin said, exhausted.

Lena merely shook her head, not looking at anyone.

Grethe clapped her hands in delight. "Good, that's good. Now, for the matter of your reward."

They looked up hopefully at her words, only for it to turn to shock as two more people emerged from behind a table, brush and comb in hand. Grethe pulled out her own set of hair supplies, apologetic. "Sorry, but it's time for a little grooming of your own. You're absolutely covered in fur. Hold still, please."