melodiesoflife | Before Night Falls (Open post)

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.

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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?"

"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.

None of the symptoms make sense to Cloud. More important in his mind is that someone else from Gaia is suffering from a mysterious illness. If it was related to whatever was happening to his arm then he had to know. "Show me."

Cloud's pace slowed as they reached the shrine. The blonde looked this way and that for the SOLDIER, figuring that a man who had just grown wings would be easier to spot. "Angeal? Angeal are you here? It's me, Cloud. Are you okay? Your moogle said you were in trouble."

What was that in the shadows? Was there a monster? Had Angeal been attacked? He tensed up, ready to fight if he had to.

Glowing blue eyes pierced the darkness followed by one heavy step rumbled on the leaf litter through the shifting wait of a large gait, then another, and another trailed by the fourth. The figure that came out of the shadows was anything but human. A deep growl, perhaps it was his own breathing, rumbled through the air. Angeal was no more for the moment and only in shadow did anyone recognize him.

Human arms remain folded over his chest. He hadn't attacked and it was his human part that kept that from happening. This was the boy he recognized but the scent was off. Something was wrong and Penance backed away.

"Pain." He growled.

Mogington flew behind Cloud at that moment. The moogle wasn't sure if the hero he once looked up to was announcing his attack or if he was conveying some message that he wasn't well.

Cloud took a step back, unable to help gasping in shock. Glancing over his shoulder he was about to ask Mogington if this monster had attacked Angeal or something, but then he saw the look on the poor critters face.

"No..." His fingers rose to gently touch at his own infected arm. Was he going to turn into something like this too? Shaking his head clear he looked back into the shadows and took a slow step forward, holding his hand out.

"Angeal? Angeal, it's me Cloud. That's you right? What happened to you?"

Penance stopped walking with a heavy thud against the ground. He canted his head to the side. The boy that he had come to know as Zack's friend wasn't his, but by proxy he didn't want to hurt him.

Mogington was just as scared and confused as Cloud. His little body shook as he placed his paws on Cloud's shoulder. "Do you think...that he remembers?" The moogle hoped the answer was yes.

Penance's larger hands lifted as his eyes looked from his smaller human hands to the larger ones that was part of the chimera.

"Lost." He growled but that seemed to be his voice than out of spite or anger.

His wings were much too small to carry such weight and so he folded them to keep them away from the branches that threatened to reach out and grab at the feathers.

"Huh?" Mogington couldn't place what the creature was trying to say.

Cloud hoped Mogington was right, but at the same time he couldn't help but tense up. If this came to a fight he had a feeling that his armor wouldn't do much to help him. At least he could try to protect the moogle. He kept his eyes on those wings and claws, wary even as he heard him speak.

"Lost?" It wasn't what he was expecting Angeal, or whatever he had become, to say. "Did you lose something? Are you trying to go somewhere? Do you want us to help you?"

Penance couldn't look around as he normally would have as Angeal. His neck was far too thick to turn his head effectively.

"Soul." Penance managed to speak again.

With a lumbering step forward, he closed the gap by one step followed by another. He towered over Cloud and then flopped down onto the ground with his heavy legs out at his sides.

Mogington gulped and saw what had happened and wondered if Angeal was sick. He flew from behind Cloud's back toward Penance and patted him on the head.

"There, there. We'll find what caused this and we'll make it right. You'll see!" He tried to keep himself cheerful but the fear was still gripping Mogington. It was daring on his part to approach the large chimera and with Cloud there he was braver.

"Isn't that right, Cloud!?"

Cloud's eyes somehow managed to edge wider as Penance loomed over him. As much as he wanted to trust Angeal, the only thing keeping him from fleeing was the sheer shock and terror. When Penance flopped down in front of him as he did, he let out the breath he realized he was holding.

"Y-yeah. We'll figure this out. Everything is going to be okay." He reached out to pat Penance as well, trying to comfort it...him. Without thinking about it, the hand that he reached out was the one corrupted by Geostigma.

Penance didn't know what caused the stigma as glowing blue eyes studied the black mass forming under the skin's surface. He could feel corruption emanating from what appeared to be cancerous. His brow knitted in thought and then he looked back to Cloud.

His human hand reached over his chest to touch the blackened skin. He felt pain and his face contorted to show it. It was true what Cloud said and while Penance didn't understand everything, he did know what pain was when he felt it. This was different. It wasn't from something that caused the wound, it was a force deep within the soul that brought it into focus.

The stigma bothered Angeal, or what was left of him that was in this monstrous form of the chimera known as Penance. He was a product, just like the stigma. He nodded his head in the same hope that Cloud had. It was all they had left. "Hope."

Before Night Falls (Open post)

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