Disclaimer: Disclaims shit. I own nothing.

A/N: ~points up~ With that out of the way lets get down to business. This is my second writing, it is completely unrelated to my first For Miles and will be treated very differently in many aspects. This world is a lot more expansive than the one I created for FM.

Also very unlike my other story, this is by no means a romance first. Cloud being my protagonist will go through a lot of difficulties. He will probably be tortured a lot, because I am the writer and he is my bitch. I assure you eventually he will find someone to love but not without a lot of suffering and confusion.

Anyone that has read my other work should know that I really like two things: the band Thrice and supernatural themes. These tales will be focused heavily on those aspects, mostly the latter. In this world lycanthropes (NOT limited to just werewolves), faeries, vampires, mages (used as a general term here), ghouls and all other types of 'monsters' are very real. They are also people. This story will deal with a lot of talk of prejudice towards these folks.

'Under the Killing Moon' is the series title based off a song of the same name from the Thrice album the Artist in the Ambulance. This song gave me the inspiration for the TYPE of story I would write. Amazing, huh? UtKM will be a series of short stories, each arc will be no more than five chapters, however long each chapter may be. Some will be shorter than others.

The inspiration for this story would have to be my own demented fantasies. When I have a bad day I daydream about something badass or something far worse than my own situation. Either way it usually perks me up quite a bit. As of late my relationship with my current partner has been really strained and things are not going very well. So there have been many bad days and thus lots of inspiration to write for this. This is also somewhat dedicated one of my readers out there. Her continued support has rekindled my motivation many times over. If not for her I probably would have ended these project.

Thank you very much, Kaoru. I hope you enjoy this story as well.

Arc one: Stealing Souls

Chapter one

Summer, dreadful summer. The dry heat of the Hollow Bastion summer was intense enough to set fire to the grass without aid, on days like this I gravely pitied those with outdoor jobs. The cruelty of the heat and humidity made me long for the cold embrace of winter. The summer was the busiest time of the year for my job; as a homicide investigator that was by no means a good thing. Perhaps it was the heat that made people start to lose their minds and make rash decisions they would come later to regret, but in my field I knew that was incorrect.

Specifically I was the lead detective in a small division of the Hollow Bastion Police Department that focused on supernatural crimes. There are many things that go bump in the night, most of which have very few rights. My department worked on the cases the HBPD didn't want to take on, prejudices were too strong amongst them to work efficiently.

One could argue they were more prejudiced against our little team than against the 'monsters' themselves, as if they couldn't swallow the idea of someone helping them. We caught a lot of shit for many reasons but mostly because only one of our quartet was a true human.

It didn't help our cause that aside from our troupe's only human, the rest of us were quite striking, causing further dismay. We all had features that made us stand out in a crowd, adding to our list of unhumanly traits. I myself had quite the head of hair; a spiky mass of blond that stood without aid in spokes that defied gravity, true blue eyes that reflected a perfect summer sky, and more physical strength than my lean muscle lead the eye to believe. At first glance all these features and standing at 5' 8" (172cm) weighing 135lb (61kg), I was definitely not the image of intimidating.

It also didn't help that while we were considered to be officers, only one of us was truly firearm trained. I could shoot but not well enough to rely on. Most of the officers couldn't understand how you could call yourself a law official and not handle a gun.

Truth was with our area blades were more effective both in cost and in damage quality. Most 'ghoulies' didn't give a shit if you shot them, stick 'em with a silver blade and you might come out of it alive. Though of course being trapped in melee range with something strong enough to literally tear your limb from limb wasn't quite ideal.

My grandmother had been a powerful shaman, good natured woman too. Thanks to that heritage I had a decent control over elemental magick and very sharp eyes. Shamans were people of the land, huntsman and such, they had slightly better senses than normal people, though not as good as most 'monsters'.

So whats an interesting fellow like me doing standing out in the middle of a barren field on the skirts of town? Stating the obvious, yes I am sweating and no this isn't for pleasure. My inner monologue had done well to distract me while I stared into the mess in the dead grass, still unable to process what my eyes were seeing.

I couldn't help but feel like my brain was trying to protect me from what it was by simply denying understanding. If I couldn't recognize it I probably wouldn't get nightmares from it. I took a deep shuddering breath, taking in the acrid stench of rotting flesh. Truly, this is why I hated the summer. The heat sped the rate of decay and made it smell so much worse. It was ripening under the sun, slowly destroying potential evidence.

Taking the gloves from my back pocket I slipped them on with practiced ease. Slowly I knelt into the the grass which was stained in dried blood. The figure before me was just a heap of raw meat. Had I not been previously informed that it was a man it would have taken me longer than I was proud of to come to that conclusion.

The body was hard to look at but even harder to look away from. The victim had been skinned alive, no inch of his body had been spared. I tried to examine the corpse with minimal touching concluding that I would definitely have nightmares from this experience. Nausea creeped up as I moved closer to better inspect the body with my eyes. The smell alone made me want to vomit, the flies buzzing around my ears wasn't helping much either.

Slowly my eyes creeped over the form. Being bold I took a fleshy arm into my hand and rolled it softly so the elbow was facing me. My bravery was rewarded as I caught sight of a light impression in the muscle the shape of a circle. Studying it for a moment longer I put it back down and repeated the same motion with the other arm with the same reward. My hands drifted down to the form's hips, carefully prodding around the wound of his groin.

This felt so personal. My eyes flicked over it again, the same indentions found around it the remains of his groin. It was an unnecessary addition to an already gruesome crime. They could have skinned him without taking his manhood.
Footsteps crunched on the grass behind me calling my attention to the intruder. A mop of black spiky hair and striking baby blue eyes to rival my own, a medium build on a tall frame. A coy grin graced his face, "Jeez you don't waste any time Cloud."

I cocked my head lightly to the side, blond bangs cascaded into view.

"Hm, Zack?"

Laughing, he motioned to my hands, "You could of at least bought him dinner first." Looking down I wanted to laugh as well. In any other circumstance it would have been funny but considering I was examining the remains of a dead man's genitals, it really wasn't.

Angry footsteps sounded on the grass and a low growl could be heard. I turned and faced the man stalking towards us. Tall and lanky, beautiful arrogant face, mako green eyes and a curtain of silver hair flowed behind him every step. Those sharp eyes met mine in a harsh gaze. "Disturbing the crime scene?" His voice came cool and condescending.

Scrunching my nose I replied in a snarky tone, "Not anymore than the horse flies are." I watched him with a sense of pride as the corners of his mouth tilted down in an ugly frown. Ah, such a petty but satisfying victory. Casually I went back to my examination. I could hear him muttering obscenities under his breath as I thoroughly looked over the body. An exasperated sound left his throat causing me to sigh. I stopped and pivoted, gazing at him over my shoulder. "Need I remind you who called whom here?"

"I did NOT call you here, FREAK." The words alone were venomous but the glare and tone really gave it an interesting bite. Needless to say, me and Sephiroth were not friends.

My partner and I exchanged glances before cracking goofy grins. It was officially time for our favorite part of a case, pissing off Sephiroth. "I suppose you're right, YOU didn't call us in."

Zack chimed in right on cue, "Oh but if he didn't call us Cloud, who did?"
We watched as his face contorted in anger again.

"Hm, it would have to be someone with more clout than him. Someone with more power than he. Hmm..." Thats me Cloud Strife, the emotional super sadist. I loved to make him angry.

The silver haired man snarled; he was absolutely seething. Zack gave his best 'deep in thought' expression before nearly shouting, "Ohhh, like the commissioner?" I really did love my partner sometimes.

I nodded enthusiastically, my blond hair shuffling with the movements. "Now that you mention it I do remember Commissioner Auron calling me and-"

The tension in his nerves finally snapped, Sephiroth's deep voice cut through the air, "Will someone get these two the FUCK out of here?!"

I felt a little immature but that didn't stop me from letting out a low chuckle. A young brunette in uniform came jogging over to us. Her wild bangs splaying out at the ends. Her green eyes twinkled as she approached us. "Sir," she started, she had such a sweet small voice. One would think she was quite and soft spoken until you spent five minutes around her. She was a ball of energy.

Sepiroth turned those cold mako eyes to her, his annoyance showing through his usual arrogant mask.

"Sir," she started again. "I apologize but they are not to be removed from the site until their investigation has been completed as per Auron's order."

He cursed loudly to himself and shot me a dirty look. I merely waggled my eyebrows in response before he stormed off.

Turning to Selphie I batted my baby blue eyes and flashed my best innocent simle, "Thanks momma Selpie, that bully Sephi was trying to stomp down our sand castle again!"

She chuckled lightly until her eyes fell on hte figure. The humor drained and was replaced by unease and disgust. A visible shudder cascaded down her. I looked to her solemnly, "I hate to ask this but I really need to see his back, Selphie."
She grimaced, I supposed from imagining it and cleared her throat lightly, "I'll see what I can do."

If I had to guess I would say it was her that got us on the case in the first place. She probably asked Auron for some reinforcement. He was a fair man, just wanted the job done right for all parties. Unlike the rest of the HBPD Selphie, her partner Irvine, and Auron were really the only ones that didn't seem to have a problem with anyone considered, 'supernatural''. It was nice knowing you could have some friends in such a hostile environment.

Selphie and Irvine were actually extremely open minded in regards to the different flavors of a person. I always thought it was strange that someone could be so damn accepting of something they weren't a part of. Most people generally only remember the roles they played in some of the greater wars. It wasn't uncommon for them to be first drafts in tough times if they were open about their abilities.

It had taken years of brutal civil war to let them gain rights as people. Some of the more human looking ones like the vampires and the lycanthropes were able to blend rather well. The more obvious the abnormalities the harsher they were treated. Even the pretty ones had it rough sometimes. Prejudice is a hard thing to face.

Moments later the young brunette came bounding back with her small crew and equipment. She blinked emerald eyes at me, "When you're done they're going to bag'em and tag'em." She gestured with a thumb over to the gentlemen by her side.
I couldn't help but smile in amusement; Zack loosed a light chuckle. We nodded our thanks to her, sending her back on her way to her partner. For someone who couldn't stand dead bodies, she picked an interesting career.

When we finally hauled him over I found what I was looking for. I really didn't like to be right when it came to methods such as these. There above the tailbone was a small cut. I traced my gloved finger along the cleanly cut flesh, it was a little hard to see the indentions. They had been very careful not to leave many marks.

Zack couldn't make it out until his face was inches away from the mottled flesh. He definitely had a stronger stomach than I did. I pulled my finger back and moved down to the man's legs. Studying it closely I found the last two cuts, a large 'U' shape cut into each leg.

Quickly I discarded my gloves as I stood. My eyes scanned the field around us, searching the distance. After slowly panning the area faintly I spotted something in the tall grass. I was really proud of my heritage, my shaman eyes were very sharp. It was the only trait that wasn't diluted in my genes.

Nudging Zack lightly I pointed off in the distance, "Can you see it?"

His crystal blue eyes squinted in the same direction. "Hn." There was a light shake of his head. "No, not from here. What is it?"

"I think its a corner post."

"Fascinating. What does it have to do with ol' meat bag here?"

I scoffed lightly at the term. "The patterns on his flesh from the blade indicate he was skinned as a beast and not as a man. The method that would leave such an indention would require the use of a post or stump and would have been done quickly."

"So that could be our real crime scene."

"Mhm. If I'm right we should find some tufts of fur. Maybe give us a better shot at identifying him."

"Hn." Zack eyed the grass carefully was we made our way over. The post was off in the distance by about a half a mile. The tall grass nearly hid it completely from view. "Do you think it might have been an accident? I mean, judging by location. It could have been a hunter that was out for furs."

I sighed softly, "I wish I could believe that but you know as well as I do there isn't much game out here, especially not for a fur trapper." Thinking on it a little deeper I added, "The person who did this would have to be pretty strong to be able to pull the hide off the body. They used a method that was quick and very physically demanding. Not the ideal choice if you're going to be out for awhile trapping. Not to mention Lycanthropes can be larger than their animal normally is depending on the physique of the person. Then taking into account the effort it must have taken to subdue him..."

"Okay, Okay, I got it." I could hear him sigh from behind me as we trekked through the tall grass. "Maybe I was just having a hard time understanding why anyone would want to do such a thing to another human being. It just seemed so... personal."
I nodded grimly. I wished dearly that I had an answer for that question but I didn't. As we finally drew upon the post I noticed Zack slowing his pace. I peeked at him from over my shoulder to see his crystal blue eyes downcast into the weeded grass.

"See something interesting in there?"

"No. Well, yes and no."

It was my turn to be confused. "Hm?"

"I noticed back at the body that none of the grass around it had any tracks in it. In fact this entire area is clear of any footprints. How do you move a body half a mile any not leave any tracks?"

I pondered on that. How is that done and why would they have wanted to move it? Zack stayed wandering the area examining the ground while I checked out the post. A tight wire was wound around it, embedded into the wood. There were dark stains on the wood in splatters, a small tuft of fur was snagged in the offending wire. Estimated time of death was around five am, just before sunrise. In the dim light they probably couldn't have seen it. The rest of the work area was near spotless. It had been extremely clean.

"Hey Zack."

He turned to me and hummed a response, "Hmmm?"

"I need forceps and a bag."

He nodded while fishing the small pack out and tossing it to me. Zack was a fantastic partner, always prepared. Didn't hurt that he was also my best friend.

"Find anything good?"

"Not sure, but I'm pretty certain this is his fur. What about you, find anything in your rummage?"

Black locks shook grimly. "No, which is part of the problem. Not a damn track out here. This-" he gestured wildly to the high grass around us, "this shit bends just from looking at it. But some how they managed to skin a man alive here and move him half a mile without bending a fucking blade. It just doesn't make sense. There is no way you can walk through here without leaving some evidence. There's not even a trail from the blood!"

It was a good observation and truthfully, I probably wouldn't wouldn't have noticed it myself. "And you're worried about job security. I knew there was a reason to keep you around."

He gave a dry chuckle, "Oh so I'm supposed to believe that it wasn't for my stunning good looks?" Feigning hurt he hovered his hand over his heart.

I rolled my eyes to him, "Come on, lets head back. I don't think we'll find much else here."

Naturally we turned all our findings over to Selphie and Irvine, giving them a brief report of our findings. It wasn't long before a few more headed over to the same spot we had been ferreting for more information.

"Call me if you get an ID on 'em Selph." She nodded eagerly, "Also tell me what the fur comes back as."

"Of course!"

She was always so energetic. For the moment our work was done, no more could be done here. We said dour goodbyes and headed towards Zack's car.

"Hey Zack?"

"Hn?" His response came lazy as always.

I flashed him a toothy grin, "Coffee?"

"Oh, yes. Sounds great."

Half an hour later we found ourselves sitting in or favorite cafe. A little joint called Ex Malo Bonum, which we thought was latin for 'From Bad to Good'. The name alone made it appealing for me, the fact that it was the best dark roast in town made it all the better for me. They were also one of the very few places in the neighboring towns that served Cafe con Leche, which means they get all of my business.

I was well into my second cup when I eyed Zack. He was blankly staring into the cup his hands held, his brows were furrowed. I sighed and sat the cup back down. "Try not to think too much on it. We've done all we can for now, we just have to wait for the boys in the lab to come up with some answers."

He looked up with distant eyes and his posture slipped, shoulders slumping. "I just don't get it. I don't understand how they could just move him without leaving so much as a track."

"It could have been a levitation spell." It was an unrealistic solution considering the difficulty of casting the spell let alone maintaining it for that duration.

A frown crossed his face, "I hadn't even thought about that. Why do you even need me again?"
I could tell he was shaken up from the case and needed some reinforcement. I smiled gently to him, "I thought that was obvious. I need you around for your stunning good looks."

He grinned back to me while I continued. "But seriously, your degrees in Supernatural Biology are so very useful. I'd be lost without ya."

Scrunching his nose he sourly replied, "I am still useless with magick."

"If magick could be taught rather than inherited I'm sure you'd have my job right now.. You're very talented Zack."

These weren't exactly empty compliments, Zack was a great partner. If he had any magickal background in his bloodline he would undoubtedly be lead detective for our unit. Though I myself came from a potent line of magick users I wasn't as handy with it. Very sensitive to it, could cast a few spells, but my talents lie with a blade. Zack was one of the few that rivaled me almost perfectly in skill with a sword.

He gave a soft smile and shook his head lightly, raven tresses shuffling softly at the movement. "I'm pretty sure even if they did you'd still be lead. You're just to perfect for the position."

I shot him a playful wink, "Careful now, wouldn't want to have to tell Aerith she has competition."

"Admiration is different than attraction, Strife."

I scoffed lightly and waved him off, "Admiration LEADS to attraction. Why do you think students get crushes on teachers?"

The pink tinge on his cheeks was absolutely priceless. It was kind of a dirty shot after all, dear Aerith had been one of his biology teachers. She was only a few years older than him but it was still fun to tease him about it.

"Back on topic," I cleared my throat lightly and took a sip of my coffee, "we'll have to check the registries to see who if any of the local wizards are practitioners of air magick. If nothing else I can stop by and visit Merlin. Assuming they did cast a levitation spell they'd have to be very powerful in order to maintain it on themselves and poor wolf boy."

Lucky for us Hollow Bastion law required all resident mages to be licensed and registered. Those who refuse registration are offered exile or imprisonment. Unregistered mages who commit a crime are immediately executed. No trial, just a black mark on their name and the hunt begins. It wasn't often that something to that extent occurred but on the rare event I usually had the pleasure of tracking them down.

It was also illegal for an individual to use magick to influence or harm another. In general unless you were a licensed healer, you kept your magick to yourself. If not well then, you either got arrested or I came to collect a bounty. Before I took the position as lead detective I did quite a bit of freelance bounty hunting for the HBPD and worked as a consultant on some cases. Though I'm not terribly fond of the nicknames that stemmed from those jobs. Its not a pretty thing to be associated with an executioner.

While I don't fully agree with the methods they choose, I'm inclined to say they are effective. Hollow Bastion had the lowest magick related crime rate, unfortunately this did not prove to make them any bit less gruesome. Magick related murders could be... creative, to say the least.

The registry itself didn't require anyone to list their magickal preferences it was heavily inferred that willingly listing the information could prevent a lot of trouble on one's behalf. Knowing a mage's expertise can easily add or eliminate a suspect from a crime, invasive in a lot of ways but efficient. I too was subject to this law. There was a VERY detailed file on my capabilities.

"Its getting kind of late."

Zack's voice startled me from my thoughts and my body visibly tensed. I shook my head lightly and dropped a bill on the table. "You're right. Can you drop me at the station? I need to grab my bike so I can go see the old man."

"I could just take you, Cloud."

"Nah," I took one last sip of my now cooling coffee. It was still sweet and strong. "I just have to ask him a few questions then I'll head home myself. I'm sure Aerith is already worried about you."

He chuckled lightly, "The day that woman stops worrying about me is the day I'm pronounced dead."

"See what I mean? Go home and give 'er some piece of mind."

A devious grin crossed his delicate face, "Oh I definitely plan on giving her SOMETHING tonight!" He proceeded to make vulgar expressions and hand gestures.

"Stop, stop, stop! That is not a visual I needed!" I flushed deeply, feeling the heat on my cheeks. How can someone be so open about their sex life?

Zack leaned over the table, his voice came in a hushed tone, "Out of curiosity, were you imagining her naked or me?"

Chuckling I cupped his face in my hand and tenderly thumbed his cheek. "Well if you need to know..." His blue eyes were sparkling with interest as I moved my hand slowly up to his hair and grasped it tightly. I pulled him close to me hovering my parted lips over his. With mere inches apart from us I tightened the grip further and simultaneously pulled back while slamming his head into the table causing our dishes to clatter. Taking the opportunity I snatched the keys off the table and chortled.

"That was for Aerith," humming with victory I twirled the keys around my finger as I made for the door.

"Baby how you gonna do me like that?!"

The door had barely cracked open when he shouted. All eyes were immediately on me. Most of the time I loved Zack, I really did. But then there were these times when he could just be so painfully embarrassing. I shot him a dirty lookkk and he grinned back, swiftly I made for his car.

Sure enough he came bolting out just as I sat on the hood, his face was filled with terror. "Cloud, no, no, no!" Grinning I ground my jean-clad ass into the hood, carefully trying to avoid scuffing it. "Get your ass off my SVT, NOW!"

I laughed wickedly as he tugged me off the hood and began searching for injury. "Tsk, you just take all the fun out of my day."

Scowling he held his hand out for the keys. Gently I pressed them into his palm, "To the station, please."

"... You're a mean one."

"I know, but I have to go do grown up things now. So if you'd please?" I batted my eyes at him causing him to release and annoyed sigh.

"Yeah, yeah." He ushered me over to the passenger side and held the door for me. Zack was so awkwardly gentlemanly with me. It always kind of bothered me that he treated me like a date rather than a partner but its a trait I'd come to expect from him. "Now hurry up before I come to my senses and make you walk back." Snickering I slid into the vehicle and watched as he ran around to his side.

Surprisingly I've only known Zack for three years. When we first met it was like reuniting with an old friend, we got along extremely well. I had gotten the pleasure of recommending him to Auron as an addition to our team back when it was still barely established. I couldn't have been luckier to have found him when I did, interviewing for a different position.

As soon as we made it to the station I dismissed him leaving myself to finish up the report in relative peace. Even if someone has an eidetic memory you're expected to take notes. I never minded, it was a habit I'd always had.

Research on the other hand, that I did not enjoy so much. To some extent I believed I was cursed on information. Seldom did I find anything of value related to a case, this time being no different. Ferreting in the records proved fruitless as none of the resident mages listed a mastery for air magicks except Merlin of course, who had listed all all types. He was easily the strongest wizard in Hollow Bastion, I had no doubts that he could be the most potent in the realm.

Merlin was a good natured man, arrogant to a fault, but still a good hearted man. Because of his talents he knew just about every major mage from the past few centuries. Much to my pleasure I'd be paying him a visit this evening.

The door to my office creaked loudly as it swung open, I swiveled in my chair to greet my intruder. A tall man roughly my age, twenty-seven, with long auburn hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and sky blue eyes stopped at the doorway.

I gave a welcoming smile and beckoned him over, "Will you ever learn to knock, Irvine?"

He flashed a Cheshire grin, "Can't teach an old dog new tricks, Cloud."

"That's not what Selphie tells me." I teased in a low voice.

He shook his head in amusement, a light flush creeping on his cheeks.

"What brings you to my office?"

'Office' was a loose term, it was more of a large storage closet turned into an office. Big enough for a file cabinet, bulletin board, desk and laptop. Comfortably only two people could fill the room and be able to move. When the station was originally built they hadn't considered the possibility of needing the extra space.

Irvine came to rest sitting at the edge of my desk, he could really make anything look graceful. "You ain't gonna believe this, kid. That fur you guys found was identified as rat fur."

I looked at him curiously, turning the information over in my head. "Rat fur? He was a wererat?"

Irvine nodded.

"Wow, I had no idea we had such a rare flavor in our town." What would anyone want with a wererat pelt? "Did we get a name for him?"

He gave another nod as he placed a manilla folder on my desk. I didn't want to touch it yet. I didn't want to see his face before the incident, it was easier to tell myself that body hadn't been a person.

Irvine sighed grimly as he continued, "I should say that we are pretty certain of who it is. But you know how hard it is to identify a lycanthrope body with standard methods, so many things change after the disease takes over." He was drumming his fingers on the desk, a habit I'd only seen him do when something was really bothering him. "We THINK he was Michael Raton. Mary Raton his wife reported him missing two days ago. Chances are she shares his affliction, its all too uncommon for a lycanthrope to mate with anything but its kind. She would be the only one who could truly identify his body."

I paled a little, "Please don't tell me someone sent her to the morgue..."

Irvine gave another small nod.

"No, you can't be serious. She can't see him like that!"

Auburn hair shuffled with a slight shake of his head, "I'm afraid I can't really stop her, this is the surest way to get an answer. Even through the decay and rot she would still know his scent."

I shook my head harshly as I snatched the file off my desk and stuffed it into my backpack. Hastily I shrugged on my jacket, tossed my bag over my shoulders and grasped my helmet while weaving through narrow spaces between desks. I was out the door and on my bike in record time, just under a minute. Lucky for me the morgue wasn't too far away, about ten minutes doing the limit. Driving like the asshole I am, I got there in five.

Our city morgue was attached to the Sisters of Heart hospital, named after the legendary seven princesses. Much to my disappointment as I parked, mine wasn't the only vehicle in the lot. A little red Volkswagen sat haphazardly parked in the guest area.

I sighed heavily while removing my helmet as I headed inside. A small woman was standing at the desk dressed in a red blouse, black pencil skirt, vibrant red heels, dark hair amassed into a tight bun with a large red and white bow adorning her head like a crown.

She turned abruptly when the door shut behind me, her eyes were dark and puffy, cheeks lightly flushed, her small hands trembling. She turned her attention back to the man at the desk who placed a notepad and pen in front of her.

The blond behind the desk spoke in a low tone, "Ma'am, I need you to sign in."

A strange wave of relief washed over me knowing she hadn't signed in yet. I cleared my throat lightly to draw her attention again as I strolled over. She turned slightly to face me and I softened my gaze and tone for her. "You are Mrs. Mary Raton, yes?"

She gave a solemn slow nod.

"Hello, my name is Cloud, Cloud Strife. I work with the HBPD."

Her pretty face scrunched in displeasure, "Forgive me but I'm not much in the questioning mood, Mr. Strife."

I nodded in acknowledgment, "I sort of thought that."

She hurriedly scribbled something on the pad she was still holding and handed it back to the keeper. She spoke keeping her back to me, "If you're not here to question me then what are you here for?" When she finally turned back to me I could see how hollow her eyes were. She looked worn and tired, I doubted she found much sleep as of late.

"I'm here to try to convince you not to go through that door."

Mary's entire demeanor shifted at the words, her hollow eyes anything but friendly. "With all due respect Mr. Strife that could be my husband in there and I have every right to see him with my own two eyes."

For such a small woman she came off as fierce, she had a presence that demanded respect.

"Did they tell you the details of his demise?"

Her expression soured again as she nodded. I sighed and offered my hand to her. She looked at it the way prey watches the predator, curious and frightened. "Mary, no one should have to see a loved one like this. I had hoped that I could save you from this. I pray that you choose to remember him how he was and not how he was found. If you truly wish to see him I'll go with you, no one should have to face this alone."

Her eyes softened and her hand slowly took mine. I walked her to the door and held it open for her. The soft clacking of her heels on the tile soon slowed then died as we stood in center of the cold room, looming over the only occupied table.

The coroner a man named Zexion, made his way into the room shortly after. He was a short man with periwinkle hair, deep blue eyes and fair skin. Attractive but stoic, so alike to his twin that it hurt. His twin worked with the HBPD as part of the forensic team. He eyed me carefully, asking me the silent question, 'are you sure you want her to see this?'

I could feel her hand trembling in mine, instinctively I gave her a reassuring squeeze. Part of me was hoping she would just break down now and run screaming for the hills before she could look but I knew she was too strong for that. Lycanthropes were a tough lot. She would see this through and be haunted by it. I nodded lightly to Zexion and he pulled the sheet back to reveal the fleshy remnants of Michael's face. It was a hard sight to take in before meeting Mary, with her here now it was almost unbearable. I couldn't imagine what she was feeling now seeing someone so dear to her so broken. This man had been her friend, her lover, her husband, yet now he was just a heap of muscle and bone.

Mary's sobs came thick and choked, her hand tightened in mine to the point that it hurt, but I dared not pull away. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, her small body shook with each hiccuping sob. "Oh Mickey," She cried his name over and over until her knees started to buckle. I caught her before she slipped and brought her close in a soft but distant embrace. The only contact was my arms around her shoulders and her face in the nook of my shoulder where her tears fell seemingly endlessly.

I motioned for Zexion to cover him again. There was no reason for him to be out now, everyone got what they came for. After a few minutes her sobs gradually quieted, her body was shaking less now as the initial shock was subsiding.

"Mary..."

She drew away from me and locked her eyes on mine. They were wild and feral, so dark they almost glinted black. The beast inside her seemed to be screaming to be loosed. "Find them before I do." She nearly hissed the words through gritted teeth.

Nodding softly I brought my hands to hers. "I know how strong you lycans can be Mary but please do not look for trouble. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I had to see you on one of these tables. Please Mary, if not for yourself than for your friends and your husband. They've lost enough today."

"Do you know what its like to have your world shattered?"

I gave her a sad smile and squeezed my hands in hers. "More than I hope you'll ever know. My losses may have been different than yours but I know it all the same."

Tears flowed from her eyes again, "Does the pain ever stop?"

"Eventually, yes. But the hardest part is seeing that life goes on without them and the world still turns when they're not around."

"I don't want to ever forget him."

"As you shouldn't, but you will find your way to live again. Your friends and family will help to see you through this. They will share your pain. 'If you open your wounds surely they'll start to heal.'" I withdrew one of my hands and dug to retrieve my wallet from my back pocket. Withdrawing a business card CI placed it gently into her palm. "The top number is for the station. The number on the bottom is my work cell. If you need anything, call me."

Only a subtle nod of confirmation was given as response.

"Also Mary-"

"Minnie, please. My friends call me Minnie."

I couldn't stop the small smile that formed on my lips. In that moment I truly felt like she would be okay. "Alright, Minnie, please be careful. We don't know if the person responsible would wish you harm as well. If you feel uncomfortable being alone then we can arrange for a car to watch your home for a few days."

She shook her head slowly. "They informed me of that option earlier but I will still decline. I will be spending the next few weeks with in the company of my horde. They too will grieve the loss of their king."

King?

Deciding to let it go I shook her hand and bid her adieu. My helmet and bag were still sitting on the floor near the desk with the young blond. "Thanks for holding onto it Demyx."

"Anytime. Long night, ya?"

"Yeah it seems like its going to be. Take care man."

He nodded lightly as he watched me head out. He was a nice guy, always seemed so ill suited for his job. He was too upbeat and social to be working as an assistant but that was his choice. Every time I said any form of 'bye' to him it almost would come out as 'see you later'. But I felt that was far to grim considering the environment. I came to settle on 'take care'. It seemed more appropriate.

The sun was low in the sky, starting its descent to welcome the night. Time went by so swiftly the days I had active work. Gearing back up I mounted my bike switched it on and left the lot. Merlin lived just outside the northwest side of town, near a swamp about thirty minutes away.

It was during this drive that I recalled why I let Zack drive us around. Sport bikes are great, very efficient on fuel and good for handling traffic but after a little while it hurt your back. No coincidence I started doing yoga after buying my Hyabusa. It was the only way I could get through using it day after day. By the time I got to my destination the sun had already sunk low on the horizon. The light was just peaking over the land. Soon it would be gone entirely and the moon would come in its wake.

Merlin's home was secluded from the rest of the town, no one came this way intentionally. Which for me meant that it was safe to leave my shit outside. I dropped my bag and helmet on the ground next to the bike and strolled up to the heavy wooden door. After delivering a series of sharp knocks to it I waited patiently while rocking on the balls of my heels in my combat boots.

Behind the door I could hear the scuffling of feet with what sounded like a stumble and a curse. Seems like he tripped over his robe again trying to answer the door. Sure enough as the door opened it revealed a very messy Merlin. His long blue robe was dirty at the fringes and his floor length beard was just as unkempt as the rest of him.

"Cloud, its been awhile!"

I gave a polite smile and a nod. "Yes it has been. How was Bermuda?"

"Ah, fantastic! The islands do well for me. So many lively activities and ah the women-"

I chuckled lightly, "Thats enough information. It sounds wonderful, glad you enjoyed yourself."

He grinned wildly, "I forget your tastes lie elsewhere. Well you should know there were some handsome fellows there too. You should go with me next time."

"I will have to keep the offer in mind. Unfortunately this is not a pleasure trip today Merlin. I need your assistance."

"Another case?"

I nodded.

Not moments later he was ushering me inside to the living room. We took familiar positions around the coffee table. Myself on the couch, him in his recliner. Somehow every time we had business together it happened in this room in the same spot. The habits you form and don't notice.

"As usual I cannot disclose any information to you. I just need to ask a few questions then I'll be on my way."

"Of course, of course. We don't need you getting into trouble now."

"Good. Of course I checked the registries for information but I'm consulting you because you would know better than anyone else. Do any of the mages in this area practice air magick? Particularly I'm concerned about levitation spells."

The old man was quiet for a few moments, his brow furrowed in thought. "Not a levitation spell per say but I do know a few individuals that use enchanted items for flight."

Ah, something I hadn't thought of. "It would have to be strong enough to carry the weight of two people."

"Its a possibility, they would have to be very powerful in order to enchant it with such endurance. I only know three witches that use that archaic method of travel, only two reside in this world still Madam Mim and Mizrabel."

Quickly I pulled out my notepad and pen and jotted the information down. "What about your teleportation spell? Does anyone else have the ability?"

He shook his head lightly, "I've never taught it to anyone for fear of misuse. I don't recall anyone studying dimensional magick in this town but I wouldn't rule it out."

"Alright last question. Do you know why someone would take the pelt of a lycanthrope?"

All the color from his face drained immediately from the words. "Who was it? Who was killed?"

"You know I can't tell you that. You should find out soon enough. If it was a friend you have my regards Merlin."

The old man was extremely active in the Lycanthrope communities, a friend to all creatures of magick. His expression was grim, I was left to assume he already knew who. He was too sharp for his own good really.

"Please Merlin, can you answer the question? What would someone want with a pelt? Its obvious this wasn't just a mindless murder. I need to know how serious this is."

"If the victim is who I believe it is, which I pray that it is not, then I must warn the other leaders." He sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples.

"You will do no such thing Merlin. I will go if needed but as a civilian you are not only endangering yourself but also my job."

A pale hand ran over his bald head, a rare nervous gesture from him. "A properly enchanted hide grants the wearer the ability to take the same form. Its the benefits of lycanthropy without the curse. Why they would target a leader is beyond me. If they just wanted a pelt they could have taken anyone from the horde. The fact that a leader was targeted is concerning to say the least. Either it was a coincidence or there is a large oversight of information."

I thought about that for a moment. All lycanthropes were considered powerful by human standards but wererats were at the bottom of the chain. They were still considered prey animals and while they are fearsome in numbers alone they didn't pose much of a threat to most non-humans.

"So its a possibility they were just a victim of the circumstance?"

"Very much so. Even still I'd like to warn the others as they can help to keep their people safe."

I nodded. "I'll get on that right away. Names and addresses please?"

A snap of his fingers and a little red leather book dropped into my lap. I smiled lightly, his magick always amazed me. "Front page, those two should be able to get the word around."

I scrunched my nose lightly, "These two? I know there are several small packs out there and quite a few flavors spread out. Most of these guys are solitary."

"Most of them are interconnected. While there are more... 'unique' lycanthropes out there most of them belong to one of these two groups."

I looked at the page he indicated. Seifer Almasy and Squall Leonhart. I wondered what flavors they and their packs were? They must have a strong presence to have a following that consisted of different breeds. That was almost unheard of.

"Thank you again Merlin. Hopefully this will help us to save more lives."

"Watch your own neck. They may not like you going into their territory unannounced."

I nodded, "Yeah unfortunately if I pussyfoot and go through the proper introductions first it could cause the death of another. I'd rather avoid that if I can. Goodnight, Merlin."

Slowly I approached my bike. The sky had gone dark now and in the thicket of trees the moonlight was completely washed out. It was an inky darkness that filled the swampy region. I hummed lightly in disappointment at the darkness around me. My bike was thirty feet away and I couldn't see even a glimmer.

I sighed softly. My fist clenched as I poured my magick into it, the warmth of my power tingled under the flesh, raising the hairs on my arm. I concentrated the feeling and bid it to manifest, completing the spell in my mind. A small orb of white light manifested from my hand and floated above my head. A simple spell Merlin taught me, Candlelight. The orb shone brightly and illuminated a circular area around me about ten feet in width.

I smiled triumphantly as I weaved around the gnarled roots and rabbit holes. I would not sprain my ankle this time. Merlin taught me this spell after my first visit to his home. Like I had come to find out all visits to the wizard were overextended. I didn't leave until nightfall and with no light to guide me I had quickly found a rabbit hole and gotten a nasty sprain. Terribly embarrassing. Much to my displeasure, Merlin had a great memory. He loved nothing more than to embarrass anyone he considered a friend.

It took about two minutes of wandering in the dark to find my bike in his 'driveway'. Tugging my belongings back into their positions I sat on my bike idly while I studied the information in the book. Seifer and Squall. I wondered just who they were. The small orb danced over my head, it seemed to flicker brightly when I said their names in my head.

Sometimes magick was wild. Once it manifested out of your body it could take on some 'personality'. Meaning a lot of magicks stayed very connected to your thoughts, even once the spell was cast. Sometimes it would, sometimes it wouldn't. It was different for everyone.

The more I thought about them the happier the orb seemed. It was practically dancing over me. I took it for what it was, a positive reaction. Grinning, I slid my helmet over my now very wild hair for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. I would find out what they were like soon enough.

Closing A/N: For those of you wondering, Mickey and Minnie's last name in this story is Raton, which is spanish for 'Mouse'. I just have always hated the fact that their last name was Mouse. It just sounds ridiculous. My dear friend Miguel whom I work with nearly cried when I told him I killed Mickey. It turned into a 4 hour conversation during night stocking on the morals of my decision. He's still mad at me for it, haha. I do love the kid though.