Before Night Falls (Open post)

[wear_tear_rust]

Characters: Angeal Hewley and anyone that would notice him gone or notice the break in his routines.
Where: Start in Aqures Ixen in the Residential areas and then Ends in the forest just outside of town.
When: October 28th.
Summary: It's Angeal's Reunion and it's not a pretty sight.
Warning: Weird things happen whenever genetics decide to play up and pick things out of Darwin's grab bag.

These past two weeks had put Angeal outside of reach. He felt the gnawing sensations gnashing and clawing, the monster inside was trying to break free. Just two days ago, the white streaks in his hair made him realize that there was something seriously wrong.

He had said nothing to Zack and it felt like a knife in his gut that he had to leave his friend again. In the night, he quietly slipped away with no note left behind and no way to contact him. Mogington was worried, clearly, and followed after Angeal. "What's wrong, kupo?"

Angeal said nothing to Mogington but instead he pushed the moogle away in a manner unlike anything Angeal had ever done. He didn't want the moogle to get involved. First, the wings sprouted from his back and left behind a trail of feathers from the residential area to the edge of the forest. With each step, excruciating pain followed. He was shifting into a monstrous form and Mogington watched it all in horror that he couldn't do anything to help his hero.

Mogington flew off to find anyone that could help and his first four contacts were Zack, Sephiroth, Genesis and Genny. "Angeal's in trouble, kupo!"

Meanwhile, Angeal found a space under fallen trees and made his way inside the space to keep himself from view of others. It wasn't so much hiding out of shame, he was trying to keep himself away for the sake of others. It hurt that he had to do this but his humanity had begun to slip away.

Comments

[rhapsoidein]

Genesis had been already on edge since the Magitek Facility and from Shun leaving. The kid and her hadn't grown close or anything, but she had gotten used to the extra person in the house and it was oddly lonely without him now. But now that Mogington was yelling out that Angeal was in trouble (but like how Monty did the same, ironically enough), she felt almost frazzled.

But, she said nothing, she simply grabbed her things, a bag of fruit, and ordered Mogington to take her to him. She didn't need him to explain what was going on. She was listening to closely to the others, the way old symptoms were cropping up. All Lester needed to mention were the wings (and all she needed to see were the feathers) to know what was going on. Granted, her Angeal never made it to Reunion, but she had read the notes about it. She never quite was sure if it would ever happen to them since they had received the cells in a different manner.

She panted hard as she made it to the spot just as the sun finished setting, deep purples and oranges colored the forest and elongated the shadows. There was no mistaking the hulking figure under some fallen trees. She stepped over to the trees, carefully peeking through them. "Angeal?"

[wear_tear_rust]

A deep, gurgling breath that sounded like a rumble under the water's surface and a shift of earth was all that could be heard. He was retreating, keeping himself as far away as possible in a retracted coil under the fallen trees. The Angeal she knew was sleeping but the monster he became was awake. Angeal's eyes were closed for a reason. He didn't want to see what he became. His humanity was nearly gone, giving way to what was left of him as he tried to reconnect the voice that called to him.

She seemed distant, but he knew her. His spiky black hair that trailed down his back resembled that of a large porcupine, his human torso was curled down out of view. Another gurgling growl rumbled through as he breathed, the trail of feathers had given him away.

Mogington flew quickly behind Genesis and shivered. He hadn't seen what Angeal had become and wondered if this creature was Angeal himself. Something told him it was. He saw glints of organic armor plating and scales and grabbed Monty. "He's scaring me, kupo. But...is that Angeal?"

[rhapsoidein]

Genesis stopped where she was and looked at the two moogles. "And you're scaring him. Quiet down, you two."

Monty tilted his head. "How can we be scaring him, kupo? He's huge and has those spikes and and-"

"And nothing, Monty. A true monster attacks, it doesn't retreat. And he's retreating," She said, ignoring the odd rumble and grumble of this new form. She crouched down and get underneath the fallen trees. She could barely see a thing in there, but she wanted to try and coax him out. "Angeal? I know it's you. You don't need to be frightened, it's only me."

[wear_tear_rust]

Mogington gulped and nodded with reluctant agreement, he knew better than to argue something that he couldn't defend. Angeal was a shadow of who he used to be but the fear from the little moogle only made things difficult to grip on a psychological level.

Angeal's human arms were folded over his chest, but the larger hand of Penance reached out toward the mouth of the cave and toward Genesis. His head turned to look up at his friend from another world and blinked glowing, pupiless blue eyes. The memory gave into action and again he tried to bury his face away from Genesis.

"Pain." Angeal's rough voice sounded more animal than human.

The pain of his sudden alteration was clear from the brief moment he had shown his face.

[rhapsoidein]

Genesis was relieved to see Angeal reaching out to her but then he retreated once more and buried himself away. Pain? She frowned, eyebrows furrowing as she tried to imagine what he must be going through. She had a feeling, given she thought herself a monster not too long ago. But aside from her wing, she never took on a monstrous form.

She looked behind her and gestured to Monty. "Give me the bag of fruit, Monty. I have an idea. You and Lester should stay back though."

Monty gave her the bag before retreating, taking Mogington's hand to fly back a little further, but they could still see and hear everything. Genesis dug into the bag and pulled out an apple, she knew Angeal wouldn't want her approaching at this point, so she needed him to do it instead. She held it out to show what she had and then let down onto the ground. She scooted backward a bit. "Apples always did make you feel better, pity they aren't Banora Whites."

[thegreatninja]

It was part of her routine to check on all the SOLDIER boys and with Sephiroth acting strange she wasn't surprised to see Angeal being weird as well. Whatever it was, it was spreading and while she wanted to deny it she was beginning to get sick as well. A black mark formed on her arm that she kept hidden by a tightly wrapped rough canvas. Her forehead was sweating and it was possible that she was ignoring a growing fever.

Mooshoo wanted no part in her pushing herself so he opted to stay behind but ended up silently following her anyway.

Yuffie spotted the trail of feathers and picked one up curiously. "Really?" Her eyes followed the trail and after a few moments of circular logic she decided to follow it further into the forest. She wasn't walking very fast but she eventually found the hole that Angeal was hiding in. He was a big guy and even under a tree she could tell it was him.

The young ninja kept her distance wondering if it was like what is happening to Sephiroth. "Are you sick too?"

[wear_tear_rust]

The black quills that had become Angeal's hair shifted as he tried to curl under tighter. The scales and plates that were a part of his skin that forged the chimera he became, the pain he was going through was excruciating. He didn't want to move; he wasn't in the condition to make any movement other than to curl up in a ball and waited it out.

Three whip-like tails lashed out through the waves of internal pressure and cracked a nearby tree that tore out a chunk of bark. Sick was hardly the word he would use. Miserable, monstrous, and confused was more liken to how he was feeling. He was struggling to hold on to his humanity the best he could.

While he didn't know Yuffie well enough, a part of him that felt distant wanted to keep her safe. She was so young but the memories were hard to reach. He sniffed the air and the tang of something unfamiliar made the beast sneeze. "Sick..."

[thegreatninja]

"WHOA!" Yuffie ducked even though she wasn't his tails target. She stood and stared in awe for a moment at his change; definitely not like what was happening to her roommate. She took a few steps closer pulling an item from her pouch.

"Hey, Hey. Remember me... I stole your camera." Probably not the best thing to remind him about right now but she had a point. "Look here. This is yours right? It's important isn't it?" She held the camera out in her hand so he could see it.

Yuffie could only assume it was important but the Angeal she knew; though grumpy, tall, brooding and annoying, wouldn't hurt someone without reason. She has given him reason on more than a few occasion to hurt her and he still hasn't.

[wear_tear_rust]

He hadn't intended anyone to be a target. It was just out of reflex from the pain that came and went in waves. He was fighting the primal urges to rip things apart as the hulking the monster he became. The sight of the camera immediately forced him back.

"Mo...ther." He dropped his massive form once more onto the earth. His massive, clawed hands gripped the ground. What would she thing if she saw him like this? It hurt to think about that matched the physical pain he felt through his entire body.

"Ho...nor." Those values that Gillian had instilled into him since he was a child, the pride he felt whenever she taught him a lesson, while they were still distant memories, they were clearly something that he couldn't just dismiss.

"I...am..." His voice trailed off while glowing blue eyes looked away. Could he even say that he was the man he used to be?

[thegreatninja]

"You are Angeal." She paused. "Aren't you?" Yuffie was grateful that she had the camera now. As long as she holds it she will probably not become a target but then again the longer she stayed the longer she risked that.

"So look. Weird things have been happening right? So just stay calm... someone will figure it out." Someone who is hopefully smarter than Yuffie. They might have been enemy's but she didn't want things happening to the people from her own world. I reminded her of her focus and the path she set for herself; she didn't want to forget.

[goddessofthesky]

She had been knocking on Angeal's door for a few minutes now and has been greeted with an eerie silence. Zelda was sure that he was usually home around this time and his absence made her worry. So many strange things have been happening and it was too much for her to keep up with. She had been visiting as many of the heroes as she could, checking in to make sure that they were alright; most were sick while some have disappeared completely. She only hoped that they were sent back to their homes.

She gently knocked on the door once more when the frantic moogle came into sight. She was caught off guard for a moment, dropping the basket that she had been carrying when she heard the moogles news. "Where is he?" Her worry made her forget her basket and the soup that she had brought. She followed the little moogle without another word while her fears slowly began to rise.

Once she arrived at the hole her pace slowed to a stop. "Angeal?" She was out of breath and quietly gasped for air as her sight landed on her friend. "What's happened?"

[wear_tear_rust]

Angeal curled away to keep his face out of view which instead only gave his away even more. He had nearly completely transmogrified into a chimera-like beast. The sound of gurgled breath echoed from the den of fallen trees and leaf litter.

The trail of feathers that led her here was just another clue to his sorry state.

"Pain." His growling, rumbled voice was heard from the den.

He couldn't show his face, especially to someone that had shown him kindness. He was locked in an internal struggle that had shown outwardly from the way he was trying to make himself smaller inside the den. Her touch was excruciating even though it was such a simple contact.

The scales were raw under the surface that connected tissue to his skin. He was not only in physical pain, but emotional pain as well. He couldn't understand what was happening to him and it only brought the matter through the fog of his mind. He knew deep down what he was, he couldn't place how it happened.

Mogington was frightened enough to hide in Zelda's hair. "What's happened to Angeal, kupo?"

[goddessofthesky]

Zelda remained strong and kept her gaze steadily on Angeal. A soft, comforting smile stretched across her lips as she watched her friend. "Let me try and help."

She has seen darkness up close and knew what it felt like to have it surround you, threatening to take hold. If he was fighting some demon inside only he could do it but she was going to let him know that she was here for him. After a moment she took a few steps back, bringing Mogington with her. "Can you run and get my harp for me?" It was something small but she wanted to help, even if that meant just reminding him that she was there.

Her eyes rested back on Angeal while she tried to fight down her rising fear.

[wear_tear_rust]

He didn't want to hurt anyone. It wasn't his fault that he was made to be this way ultimately. Part of him want to rip and tear at his body to be rid of the monster on the outside but the monster inside was fighting Angeal's humanity that was increasingly losing the battle. Little things always helped but it was finding the courage to stand up and be himself again even if he was physically changed.

He managed to uncurl himself to look at Zelda with his glowing blue eyes. His massive body was hard to hide under the fallen trees that he had used as shelter. It was a strange reconnection to nature that he felt best in and a fitting place for a beast.

Mogington piped up. "I'll go with him, kupo." So, off Mogington and Kopula went to fetch the harp. It was better for Mogington not to see his hero in such a state.

[goddessofthesky]

She nodded and then watched for a moment as the two flew off. Hopefully they would be safe if they were together. She walked a little closer and sat under a nearby tree, resting her back against the rough bark. Her gaze was calm and her expression soft as she looked over towards Angeal. "I'm sure you can hear me. Until they get back, why don't I tell you a story?"

Zelda hoped he would hold on to her words and that some how it would bring him back to her. She found music to be the best link and she remembered a song that Cloud had taught her when she first got her harp back but she wasn't going to risk waiting. "Once upon a time there was a hero. He fought against the pure darkness that ravaged the land. The whole planet was threatened to face its destruction. The goddess Hylia took her people and sent them safely up into the sky. Then, together with this great hero, Hyila used all of her power to sealed the darkness away. The hero would then be reborn whenever the darkness threatened her people again."

She shifted tucking her legs to the side. "What no one knows is this heroes struggles during that war. He pulled the darkness in himself and found the inner strength to defeat it. His life was lost in the war and only his spirit could be saved but he never regretted it." Her voice remained sweet and comforting as she told her tale. She poured her whole heart into her words. It was the first time she reached into her memories and shared it with another.

Spencer / Mogington - A-02

[shinrasfinest]

By the time that Mogington found Spencer -it wasn't all that hard, being as they were neighbors- small sobbing noises could be heard from the other side of closed door into the room Sephiroth hadn't come out of for at least the last three days.

When the other moogle then entered, it was to a dark and gloomy room. The curtains were still mostly closed even if the breeze outside rustled them every so often. Spencer was lain down on the edge of the bed next to his Hero, every so often moving his head against the bare forearm there as if he might coax some life back into Sephiroth.

He hadn't been dead for long, these would be the final moments before his being would vanish. Just like all other Heroes did when they died.

"Who-" Spencer sniffed back the last wave of sobs and sat back up looking over to the doorway. "Who is there, Kupo?"

Spencer / Mogington - A-02

[wear_tear_rust]

Mogington had heard the sobs and floated toward the source. Upon sight, he gasped softly. Something had happened to Sephiroth and the sight was gripping his tiny little heart. "Kupo?" He softly said and floated slowly toward Spencer's side.

Sephiroth was gone, and Angeal had left the city. It was a hard day for them both and with the various murders and injuries, it was a surprise that Mogington himself wasn't injured for making his way through the residential streets. He was smart enough to keep going and do what he was determined to do and that was his job. Perhaps it was luck that made him get this far but for now his main concern was his friend.

"It's me, Mogington, kupo. Did he...?" Mogington didn't want to ask the obvious without sounding callous. "Is he...?"

Spencer / Mogington - A-02

[shinrasfinest]

Spencer just sat there on the edge of the bed looking over Mogington. He wiped at his furry face with the back of the hand that wasn't still in a sling and then turned to look over Sephiroth again. He wanted that chest, covered up by blankets, to raise once more. He wanted to hear the wheezing sound that breathing had been for his Hero in the last few hours before it had stopped when he'd finally passed out. Sephiroth had fought so hard to stay awake to avoid exactly that. There was still a semi-fresh steaming mug of tea on the bedside.

"He just fell asleep Mogington. I didn't know what to do. Then he stopped-" Spencer nearly choked on the next word. "He just went away, just like that."

Spencer / Mogington - A-02

[wear_tear_rust]

He felt his own tears well up and let the tears fall. Sephiroth was always nice to him even if he didn't say much. He was Angeal's friend and he came to respect the warrior the same as he had his own hero. His chest heaved in a staggered breath through the silence.

"I-I'm so sorry, Spencer." He chocked. Losing anyone close always hurt even if they didn't know them long. Mogington was quick to pull a handkerchief from his bag and handed it to Spencer. Angeal was always lecturing the moogle to be prepared for anything.

"I don't know what to do either, kupo. Angeal will know..." His voice trailed off to prevent from pulling Spencer away from his fallen hero so soon after his death. It didn't seem right to leave Sephiroth. It was strange how mourning worked.

[jiyunotaika]

Of course he noticed Angeal's disappearance, it was hard not to when he didn't wake up to the other SOLDIER harassing him to get out of bed for some training. Zack dressed quickly when he realized he rolled over and a stream of mid-morning light was streaming across his face.

There was nothing in the house to indicate where or why Angeal had left but he hardly needed one. It was just like the other to leave and not tell him anything, especially when it involved his origins.

So he's not surprised when he stepped out of the house to run straight into Mogington. Literally. The moogle collided with Zack's head but it didn't seem to matter as he went on to deliver the message. "Lead the way."

That's why sometime later he's making his way through the forest with not just one but two moogles trailing behind him. When he reached the spot that Mogington directed him too, Zack put both fists against his hips and looked over Angeal.

"You know, two Angeal copies have saved my life a few times. It was kind of like you were watching over me even when you weren't around." He said casually, moving over to sit on one of the fallen trees.

[wear_tear_rust]

Penance lifted his head to set his glowing blue gaze on Zack. His pupil's voice was always something he could count on to help him through his troubled times but in this case, he was having trouble forming words. It hurt to speak yet he managed to do so anyway.

"Zack." His voice sounded dry yet he knew Zack better than anyone and it seemed the same in reverse. Angeal was right to choose him as his successor.

Mogington floated behind Zack and peeked over his shoulder. He was afraid to see what Angeal had become but Zack seemed fine with what was happening. "Th-that's Angeal? How?"

Penance was far too large to hide effectively in the brush the way he had and he was a very conspicuous creature to have about as a pet and there was no way that Penance would allow himself to be kept that way.

[neverfirstclass]

Granted Cloud had been in less and less shape to train with Angeal as October wore on, it was a surprise when he did not run into the senior SOLDIER at all that morning. He could at least count on giving him a nod in passing, but this time he didn't see Angeal on his usual paths.

Dumb luck managed to bring Cloud around to his house just as Mogington flew by. "You're...Angeal's moogle right? Is he okay?"

[wear_tear_rust]

"Corporal Cloud!" Mogington zoomed in on Cloud and gripped the material of his shirt. The little moogle pulled with all his might toward the direction of the woods where Angeal had holed himself away. "He's very sick, kupo! He's in a lot of pain and he's making strange noises. He grew wings!"

To Mogington, that was all that happened since that was all he saw. He hadn't seen the rest of the transformation yet into Penance, the monstrous creature that was more chimera than man.

[neverfirstclass]

It wasn't a very strong tug, but Cloud went with it anyway. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was glad for his decision to change into his Magitek Knight gear as of late. Not only would the armor be of use if Angeal was in serious trouble, but it did a good job of hiding how bad his arm was getting.

"W-wings? What do you mean he grew wings?" He moved a bit faster now, not about to let the confusion slow them down. That Angeal was in trouble was all he needed to motivate his feet. His right hand drifted to his left arm as he jogged along after Mogington, "What is he sick with?"

[wear_tear_rust]

"I-I don't know. He's not well, that's all I know. He was in pain, so I think he's sick. Maybe he's...what if..." Mogington didn't have any answers, just more questions as they continued along their quest to find Angeal.

"Feathers...so many feathers, kupo." Mogington said in a fading voice.

In the distance, Penance heard the approaching footfalls and retreated into the alcove. He couldn't hide very well due to the bulking frame of his transformed body. He lowered his head to reveal the black hair to hide his face. With his human arms folded, he used his larger, armored arms to cover up his fleshy upper body.

He tried to keep out of view and his breathing was loud and labored. The pain was intense but so was the shame he felt as well.