Full Moon
As soon as Cloud had disappeared into his room, Tifa turned back to Yuffie again. "Okay, Yuffie, I tell you this once and I won't tell you again. If I ever see you hitting Cloud with a pan or any other household appliance again, I'll kick you ass from here to next Sunday." she said in a very calm voice. "Is this clear?" "Yes." Yuffie answered. "But, he was growling at me! I though he'd really bite me!" Tifa sighed and took a seat. "Yuffie, sit down." she ordered. The young ninja shot her friend a worried glance before sitting down. "You remember when Cloud was bitten by the wolf?" Tifa asked. "Yeah...yeah, I do. But what has this to do with Clouds behaviour?" "I don't know." Tifa admitted. "But since then, Cloud hearing is supernatural. Also his smelling, and probably his eyes too. And his healing factor seems to be much higher than ours. I saw him slicing his leg today, and the wound healed within a few seconds. And...his molar teeth have changed." Tifa stopped talking when she saw the shocked expression on Yuffies face. "Tifa..." the ninja now said. "I think I know what's happening to him." "Yeah? Tell me." Yuffie took a deep breath, then she said: "From what you told me...it sounds as if Cloud is turning into a werewolf."
Tifas face went so pale that Yuffie feared she would drop unconscious the next second. "A werewolf?" the young bar hostess cried out. "This can't be! Werewolves don't exist!" "Tifa, listen." Yuffie begged. "In my hometown Wutai, grandparents use to tell naughty kids a story. I'll tell you this tale now, maybe it'll help." She took a deep breath before starting to talk. "You went to the forest near Midgar, didn't you?" Tifa just nodded. "Well," Yuffie continued, "as far as I remember, about one hundred years ago a pack of wolves lived in this forest. One day, a hunter – sorry, forgot his name – went to the forest to kill all the wolves. He managed to kill every single wolf, but with his murder, he had made the God who was the protector of the forest very angry. He punished the hunter with a curse, so he turned into a werewolf every time the moon's full. And when he killed the first time, he had to stay a real wolf forever. Every time he bites someone, the one who got bitten also is cursed." Tifa swallowed hard before asking: "And you think now Cloud is cursed?" "I'm afraid we'll find out very soon." Yuffie answered. "Tonight the moon is full, Tifa."
The rest of the day was terrible for Tifa. She feared the moment the moon came out, almost as much as she had feared Sephiroth five years ago. Cloud noticed that she was unusually stiff around him, and asked her what was wrong. He didn't remember growling at Yuffie at all; his memory had stopped when he had told her to leave him alone, and started again when he had woken up on the floor. "It's nothing." Tifa lied. "Tifa, when I'm around you, you behave as if I had a deadly disease." Cloud told her. "Don't say that nothing's wrong." Tifa just sighed. "Everything is okay, Cloud. I...just have a headache, that's all." Cloud decided not to bugger her anymore and turned the TV on. Tifa looked out of the window and saw that the moon was about to rise. She reached into her pocket and clutched the electric shocker she normally kept in her purse, in case somebody would try to rape her. Suddenly Cloud doubled over in his chair and moaned. "Cloud?" Tifa asked concerned. "Are you okay?" Cloud stood up and turned around to her. Tifa stepped back in shock. A thick beard covered her lovers face, and his teeth grew long. The normally thin hairs on his forearm started to grow, until they were almost fur-like. Cloud grabbed his shirt and tore it from his body. The skin from his neck to waist was covered by dark, almost black hair. His usually spiky blonde hair grew longer until it combined itself with the beard on his cheeks. Cloud let out a loud growl and took a step towards Tifa. Tifa quickly pulled the shocker out and tried to shock Cloud with it, but when she pressed the button, the only effect was a little "Bzzt" and then it was over. "Damn!" Tifa cursed. "I should've checked the battery..." Before she could react, Cloud hit her hard across the face. The blow was so strong that Tifa was thrown across the room until the wall stopped her. To her luck, Yuffie and Cid heard the crash and ran into the room. "Oh holy shit!" Cid called out when he saw the werewolf jumping at Tifa. He reacted fast and tackled the monster, not knowing that it was his best friend Cloud. "Cid..." Tifa moaned while trying to get to her feet. "Don't...kill him..." She fell to the floor again. Yuffie pulled out a hypodermic needle that was filled with a very strong tranquilliser. "Cid, get a hold of him!" she yelled. Somehow Cid managed to grab the werewolf around the neck and keep him still as long as Yuffie needed. Yuffie quickly stuck the needle into Clouds arm and injected the tranquilliser. Cloud started to thrash wildly, but his movements got slower and slower until he fell to the floor unconscious. Yuffie hurried to Tifa, who was sitting on the floor trying to breath. When she had crashed against the wall, she had hit her solar plexus, and now she was breathing in short, flat tries to get air into her lungs. "Tifa! Are you okay?" Tifa nodded while her breathing slowed down a little bit. The left side of her face was already swelling and turning to a dark shade of crimson. Meanwhile, Cid ran into the cellar to get a few chains so they could tie Cloud up. Yuffie helped Tifa to her feet and asked: "Did he bite you?" "No." Tifa answered. Cid returned with the chains and started to chain his friend to a stable chair. "Tomorrow morning he'll be back to normal." Yuffie promised. Cid finished the chaining work and turned to Tifa and Yuffie. "Okay, girls, and now tell me what the fuck happened." he commanded.
