Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts (II), Cid, Yuffie, Sephiroth, etc.

Author’s Note: Hi, guys! Before you start reading, I just wanted to say (because I forgot last time) that the last story was based on the fairytale Vasilissa the Beautiful. This one is based on the fairytale Bearskin. I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. Probably not. Well, anyway, read on.

Warning: Um…that’s a toughie. I guess…Sephiroth, for those of you who are scared of him.

Quick Author Babble: Hum de dum…

Bear Cid

Cid Highwind was rumoured to be the best gummi ship pilot there ever was. When Radiant Garden was attacked by another world looking to take over, he fought valiantly, winning many awards for his bravery. He was honoured at that time, and celebrated greatly too. But then the war ended, and Cid’s glory days were over. He received his dismissal, and was sent back home.

But where was “home”? Cid really had no idea. His parents long gone from an illness that killed thousands, Cid turned to his two younger brothers for help. The middle one, who was a lawyer and always at his work, cared not for him, saying he was far too busy to let Cid disrupt his life. The youngest one very guiltily told him that he had far too little money to offer shelter for him, especially with him and his wife expecting a baby.

“Humph!” Cid muttered under his breath as the second door slammed shut in his face. “Brothers, my foot! Those blundering nitwits wouldn’t even know generosity if it came up behind them and bit them in the butt!”

The only thing Cid had left was his weapon and empty pockets. He realized now he was a fallen hero. With the war done and the danger passed, there was no more respect to be shown towards him. Human beings were really very shallow creatures.

So Cid decided he would travel to the largely populated city in Hollow Bastion (for it was now called by that name due to the depressing war) and look for work. To get there, though, he had to pass through a large forest surrounding the city, which most villagers dare not cross alone. But Cid couldn’t care less. He had been through far worse than a spooky forest, and could probably take a lot more.

The pilot had to leave that day for he had nowhere to stay the night, so he entered the forest in hopes of making it out before daybreak. The path seemed endless, and the trees watched him as he passed, but Cid was far too determined and in too bad a state to care. After awhile, he came to small clearing. It was circular and trees surrounding it, almost as if it was a bed made for Mother Nature herself. But where was the path? Cid looked around in confusion, for suddenly the trees had clumped together, making it impossible for him to escape.

He’d heard horror stories about the woods before, but had never bothered to believe them. Now he regretted his mistake. There were darker forces at work than just war in Hollow Bastion, and now he knew he was done for. He swore under his breath, as he was taught to do in the military.

“Ah, screw it,” he muttered, and then looked up at the sky and yelled and screeched and cursed as loud as he could, until the trees started to quiver. Nonetheless, they didn’t budge. Cid collapsed on the ground, feeling the wet grass beneath his callused fingertips. “I’m going to starve to death. Never thought I’d go down this way. Heck, if I knew this was how I was gonna go, I’d rather ’ave been shot down.”

Of course, none of this mattered anymore. But he was talking to himself because he heard that was how people kept sane when they were all alone. Just talking can keep somebody in a secure state of mind. But when people see someone talking to themselves on the street, they figure they’re crazy. Go figure.

But then, the leaves rustled atop the trees, and Cid’s well-trained eyes noticed the movement immediately. He stood up, alert, his hand above his belt in anticipation, ready to take out his handgun at any moment. A man clad all in black swooped down from above, long hair drifting out behind him in silver ribbons. One black-feathered wing was open to its fullest capacity, stretching out as far as three metres. Cid was startled, but he didn’t show it—if you show fear, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll be killed. That was common sense.

The man—perhaps an angel or a demon, Cid couldn’t tell which—landed gracefully on his feet. He opened his arms as if to present himself, and Cid could see that this man was tall, well-built, and even had a very dangerous-looking sword around his belt. He had armour around him, and his long black robe seemed to clash with his pale skin. His chin was pointed, and his long, silver hair hid his eyes.

“Wh-who are you?” shouted Cid, trying his best not to shake. But it was no good. His voice had shivered and he had now shown how scared he was of this dark force. He was for sure going to be killed—which was better than starving to death, he decided.

The man looked up and stared right into Cid’s eyes. Cid felt his heart leap in terror at the fierceness the dull, blue eyes showed. Then his thin lips turned into a smirk, and his eyes flashed crimson. At that moment, Cid pulled out his gun and pointed it at the man, not willing to go down without a fight. The man showed no fear at the aimed gun, continuing to stare at Cid with intensity.

“I said, who the hell are you?!” he yelled, louder this time, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline he usually got when the situation seemed very dangerous.

“My name is not important,” said the man coolly. His voice was frighteningly deep, but also smooth, like running water. It was trying to lure him in. Cid was getting pretty angry.

“It is important!” he retorted. “I gotta know my killer’s name, or I’ll never rest in peace!”

The man seemed to consider what to say. Finally he looked back up.

“You may call me Sephiroth if you wish,” he answered with a polite nod, “but I am not trying to kill you. I am here to help you.”

At this Cid paused to ponder. It was most probably a trick, so he didn’t put his gun down, but the strain in his body seemed to lessen.

“Help me?” Could beings that terrifying be able to do good? Everything about the guy seemed like bad news.

“Yes,” replied Sephiroth, and his smile returned. “I already know what you desire. You are badly in need of wealth, and wealth I do have.” Cid raised an eyebrow. This actually sounding promising. Sephiroth put up a hand. “I have conditions though. Do you honestly think I shall give all my riches to useless man? I must first check if you are worth saving, and then we shall see about the future.”

It was a trap. Cid was positive about that. But he was in desperate need. It was either a trap or death—and, of course, he much rather preferred a trap.

“I like to think I’m worth saving,” he said, never once taking his eyes off the one-winged man. “Lay it on me.”

“Very well.” Sephiroth’s lips curled into a terrible smirk. “Look behind you.”

Cid turned quickly to see a giant bear launch itself at him. He swore as loudly as he could—at the bear, at Sephiroth, at the world. The bear was so close to him now that he could feel the bristles of its fur coat. It was cold and pointy and kind of wet. It felt like what death would be, if you could just reach out and touch it. He pointed his ever-ready handgun and fired. The bullet hit the bear directly in the muzzle, and the bear fell, now only a shell of what it once was.

“What the hell kind of condition is that?!” he cried, and turned to look at Sephiroth, who was nodding approvingly.

“Hmm,” said the silver-haired stranger thoughtfully. “It looks like you could indeed be worth my time. But there is another task you must do.”

“I don’t think I could handle another one like that,” Cid muttered bluntly.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing of the sort.” Sephiroth took a step forward towards the spiky-haired soldier, who knew better than to step back, for then he would look like a coward and lose all chances of escaping. “For the next seven years, you must not bathe, comb your beard or your hair, cut your nails, or pray for good fortune. I’ll give you a coat and a robe that you can’t ever take off. If you die during that period, then your heart and power belongs to me. If you live, then you’re free to live your life and inherit all my fortune. Do you agree?”

Cid’s lip curled in disgust. His eyebrows knit together in thought. He’d never been one for bathing frequently, but that was just gross. He paused and felt his bristly beard hair, which he knew would grow as long as his knees if he accepted Sephiroth’s proposal. There was a high chance he would catch some fatal disease if he was so unhygienic for so long, but at least he could do something about it. He sighed and eyed the sword in Sephiroth’s belt. He suddenly felt certain that he would be killed if he refused. It seemed like that kind of situation.

“Well,” he mumbled, kicking at the dirt with his foot, “I guess bein’ unclean beats bein’ dead.”

“Well said,” Sephiroth stated with a smirk, then took off his black jacket and handed it to the gummi ship pilot, who put it on promptly. It was snug and warm, but attracted heat in rather unnerving amounts. “If you reach into the pockets, you’ll find there’s an unlimited amount of munny that you may use for the next seven years. Afterwards, all the rest will be yours to keep. That is, if you survive.” He then walked over to the dead bear, and unsheathed his sword. In a quick, gruesome manner, he skinned the bear. Cid closed his eyes to avoid watching. Suddenly, Sephiroth was right in front of him, holding out the bearskin. “This will be your cloak and your bed, because you won’t be allowed to sleep on any other cushion.” Cid took it from Sephiroth’s gloved hands and put it over himself. At first, he was a bit disgusted, but then he realized it was quite warm and soft. Sephiroth took one look at him and chortled in amusement. “From now on you’ll be called Bear Cid, because that is exactly what you look like.”

And with that, the one-winged demon—because Cid was now positive that’s what he was—took off into the sky and disappeared. Cid frowned. He felt positively ridiculous in his new outfit. He tugged at the bearskin only to find that it was stuck on him like glue, and would be for the next seven years. He sighed and reached into the pocket of his new jacket to pull out a handful of munny. He stared at the gleaming, gold-coloured coins in shock.

“Well, run me over with a gummi ship and call me a pancake,” he breathed out in surprise. “The freak wasn’t lyin’.”

He looked ahead of him at the cage of trees, and as soon as he started looking around for the path once more, a block of trees separated to reveal a long, winding path out of the forest. Sephiroth hadn’t forgotten about the other problem.

xXx

The first year of the agreement, Cid’s appearance was bearable, but by the second, he looked like a creature from the deep. His beard grown out long, his face crusty with dirt, his fingernails long and pointy, and the bearskin covering up the majority of his body, he looked like a twisted version of Bigfoot. He couldn’t pray to the ethereal forces to save him from dying, but, never being that religious a person, Cid just did good things for people to keep his karma in good graces. He gave munny to all the poor or homeless people he saw, and gave food to the stray animals. He treated people with respect and kept his swearing under check, so that people wouldn’t be scared of him. Nonetheless, they were, and when people happened to come across him they would scream in terror and run for their lives.

Cid tried his hardest to deal with it and, always willing to pay plenty for a place to stay, he always found shelter. The years passed slowly and without hope or happiness. It was a very lonely life indeed. Even in the main city, where thousands of people resigned, he never could have a good conversation with anyone. Cid had never been much of a people person, but even he needed a friend or two.

In his fourth year, Cid went to an inn to prepare himself for sleep for the oncoming night. When he entered the inn, people lounging around in the main area cried out in fright before hiding themselves behind anything they could find. Used to this kind of treatment, Cid walked up to the landlord, who was crouching behind his desk.

“’Scuse me,” he said to the middle-aged man, peering above him. “How much for a room?”

“A-A room?” repeated the man, shaking horribly in fear. “For goodness sakes, what would a monster want with a room in an inn?”

“I’ll ’ave you know I’m no monster!” cried Cid angrily. “I’m just a human bein’ like you, just a lot more decent!”

At the realization that Cid was indeed just a human, the landlord stood back up and coughed angrily.

“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t allow unclean persons such as yourself stay in this inn,” he remarked, his voice talking on a snobby tone.

“Unclean I may be, but I’m still a man in need of shelter!” Cid shouted, offended. “Can’t you just put me in the barn someplace?”

“No,” the man said flatly, “the horses would get scared.”

Cid was completely insulted and quite enraged, but this was the only inn around, and he was too tired to trek around looking for another one. So he reached into his jacket and pulled out a large amount of munny, probably triple the amount of the price of an actual room. He dumped it all out on the desk.

“S’all yours if you just give me a place to sleep,” he stated. The landlord counted the money before looking up at him.

“Fine,” he agreed none too happily, “you can sleep in the outhouse. But don’t let any of the other guests see you. Reputation, I’m sure you understand.”

“Couldn’t imagine what kinda reputation this inn has already, with you runnin’ it,” Cid snapped irritably, before making his way outside. He was careful to dodge people nonetheless, not really wanting to be titled as a monster for the umpteenth time.

xXx

Cid, lying down on the floor of the outhouse, pitied himself. The air around him reeked of people’s waste, and the floor was hard wood and incredibly uncomfortable. He could hear the tiny footsteps of mice around him, which would be disturbing to some people, but to Cid it was the norm. He felt lonely and miserable, and he was uncomfortable in his own skin, which was coarse, dirty, and hairy—bearskin. He wished more than anything that the seven years were over so that his misery could pass.

As he lay there in silence and depression, his ears suddenly picked up a new sound. He sat up and realized that they were sobs coming from the neighbouring room. Cid sat there for a moment, considering what to do.

“Ah, I don’t wanna deal with no cry babies,” he muttered, for he’d become quite used to talking to himself, and lied back down on the floor. But the crying persisted, and a few minutes later Cid sat up again. “No chance I’m gonna get a good night’s sleep with this fool bawlin’ his eyes out.” At least, that’s what he told himself, but he found his heart going out to the sad person in the room next to him, knowing what true sorrow felt like, so he got up and walked over to the door.

He stopped and considered his promise to the landlord. He had agreed that he wouldn’t show himself to any other guest in the inn. But his concern and lack of sleep overruled these thoughts, so the next thing he knew he had opened the door and found himself looking down at a man—a very young man indeed—with long, dark hair that looked like chocolate. His hands were over his face so Cid couldn’t see what he looked like, but he had honed muscles and was clad all in black. Judging by his straight posture even when he was crying, he looked like a soldier or warrior of sorts.

Cid was reminded of his old self. Even though he’d never admit to bawling his eyes out like that, he would only show his true emotions in private. Like himself, the man seemed to have incredibly sharp senses. As soon as Cid opened the door the full way as soundlessly as he could, the man looked up. At first, his eyes were red and watery—the next moment they had dried and turned ice cold. Without showing the tiniest bit of panic, the man jumped up and pulled out a sword from behind him. Cid recognized the build of the weapon—he’d always wanted one, even though ships and guns were more his thing.

“I’ve never seen a Heartless like this before,” the man commented almost coolly before leaping up in an attack stance. Cid’s eyes widened at the incredibly swift move. He grabbed his gun and the two weapons collided, offering a temporary barrier between him and death.

“Whoa, hold your horses there!” shouted Cid in surprise. “I’m no Heartless!” At these words the man paused, and the weight of the sword against Cid’s muscles lifted. The man took a step back and looked at him. Cid looked back and realized the man’s eyes were a steel blue, narrowed and unreadable. He had a broad nose and strong chin, and indeed looked very handsome. The only flaw on his face was a long scar that ran across the bridge of his nose—a battle wound, and a very impressive one at that.

“What are you then?” the man pressed on. His voice was deep and cool, almost as icy as his appearance. “Some kind of monster?”

“Certainly not, ya rude delinquent!” he snapped, getting pretty tired of being labelled as a monster. “I’m a hundred percent human! I just got myself into a bit of a mess, is all. And anyways, what’s the deal with you? One moment sobbin’ like a newborn, and the next attackin’ me like some sorta ogre!”

The man paused, looking him over in horror, and not in the you-look-scary kind of way.

“You heard that?” he asked, seeming to forget all about Cid and his yeti-like features. He looked down in shame.

“Hey, no worries,” Cid said, feeling sympathy for his soldier companion, who was used to being stone-faced. “No need to be embarrassed. Just tell me what the problem is and maybe I can help.”

The man looked up, his fingers intertwined over his mouth. He suddenly seemed very fragile.

“Well, it’s not too big a deal, I suppose,” he said, an obvious lie. “You see, my friends and I have been working hard to restore Hollow Bastion to its original state, but our munny has dwindled to a very small sum. We all live in this cramped old house on the border of town, and soon we will run out of munny and, basically, starve to death.”

Although Cid knew this not to be true, for he had seen many people without homes or munny still quite alive, he felt bad for the man’s misfortune.

“What’s yer name, soldier?” he questioned bluntly. The other man looked surprised.

“Squall Leonhart…but, how’d you know I was—”

“I know things, sir. Boy, do I know things. Maybe one day I’ll care to share my wisdom with ya. But today let’s just concern ourselves with yer problem. Get out yer wallet now, and don’t be slow ’bout it.” Squall looked confused, but did as he was told. He held out a small brown bag to Cid.

“I don’t accept charity,” he stated, trying to sound dignified.

“Don’t think of it as charity then. Think of it as…a present. For all the birthdays I missed o’ yours.” Cid reached into his infinitely rich pockets and spooned out giant handful after giant handful, until finally the bag was practically exploding with wealth. “Here ya go, Mr. Leonhart. Must be at least two hundred thousand munny in there.”

Squall took the bag and gaped at it. He held it in his hands like he’d never seen so many riches in his life. But his shook his head and passed the bag back.

“I couldn’t possibly accept so much,” he said, and this time his voice was firm. “This is obscene. How will you manage to uphold yourself?”

Cid put his hands up and pushed it back towards him.

“Don’t you worry about it. I’ve got lots to keep me goin’.” Squall stared at him for a long time before standing up to his full height. He was noticeably tall, and now that he wasn’t slouching, he seemed quite dignified and menacing at the same time.

“Who are you?” he asked, his voice gentle but clearly impressed.

Cid considered the question before answering, “You can just call me Bear Cid.”

“Bear Cid?” Squall felt the name on his tongue before smiling. “It suits you.”

“Well, thanks there, Mr. Leonhart.”

Squall patted his fellow soldier on the back.

“You can just call me Leon.”

xXx

Cid was feeling uncharacteristically nervous. After his supreme act of kindness, Leon invited him to his little cottage where he and his friends lived. With the house on the border of town, the two men walked for a good two hours—but, with both of them very much in shape, it didn’t make much of an effect on them. Leon finally stopped on a clearly poor street and gestured with his hand towards a small, orange brick house with a thatched red roof and a small yellow chimney sticking out at the top, trickling out grey, cloudy smoke. The setting was quite charming. Flowers practically swallowed the building up, they were growing in such abundance, and multi-coloured sparkles seemed to dance through the air—the use of magic, no doubt. A bit of a clothesline peeked out from the back, with a stone well beside it. But the house itself was in rather poor shape. There were clear holes in the roof and some of the windows were broken; the fence was in bad need of a paintjob; there were big cracks running up the walls; and Cid couldn’t forget that with so many people living inside of it, the house was positively tiny.

“Well, this is it.” Leon sighed, and not in a dreamy way. “It’s not much, I know, but it’s home.”

“It’s nice,” Cid lied, feeling pity go out to black clad man. Leon led him into the house. When open, the door hung at an angle. Cid followed him in, not sure what to do or say. He most certainly was not good with people.

“Guys!” Leon yelled up the uneven staircase. “We have a guest!”

“A guest?” A melodic voice that sounding like the tinkling of bells rang in Cid’s ears. “Oh, how lovely!”

Cid suddenly felt shaky all over. Sweat formed under his heavy bearskin coat. That voice could not have belonged to any male specimen. He turned to Leon, wide-eyed.

“D-Don’t tell me…ye live with a girl?” he asked, his speech thin and weak.

“Yes, three, actually,” Leon replied coolly, oblivious of his acquaintance’s green face. Cid bit his hairy lip and gulped. He had never been much of a ladies’ man, especially after he made a deal with the oh so devilish Sephiroth. Girls were always the first to scream and cause chaos. Cid tried his best to avoid them nowadays, and now he was in an enclosed space with three of them!

“W-Well, actually, I think I should be goin’,” he stuttered, wiping at his hot forehead. “I mean, there’s never too much time to find shelter when you look like a mutant bear.” He laughed weakly at his own joke and turned to go, but Leon clamped a firm hand on his shoulder.

“I know what you’re thinking,” he said calmly. He sounded convincing and authoritative. Cid could tell, as he could with all his commanding officers, that this kid had been, and still was, a leader. “But you have no reason to worry. These aren’t your typical type of women, I promise you.”

Cid did not believe him, but he didn’t leave either. All women were the same. No, not just women even—all people were the same when it came to something menacing and unfamiliar. Men were just better at hiding their fear, was all. Cid turned, rubbing his claw-like hands together anxiously. His sweaty palms stuck together each time they touched. The brown dirt that covered every part of Cid’s body crumbled and fell to the floor, muddying the carpet, but Leon paid no notice because suddenly the most beautiful girl Cid had ever seen glided down the stairs. She was wearing a long pink dress that brushed her ankles, and brown boots that looked a bit shabby but were clearly quite strong. Her hair came down in twisting, chestnut locks, most of it tied back in a bright pink bow. Her large, emerald eyes gave off a kind, understanding feeling, and she had little jewellery decorating her simple outfit. Her skin was a light peach colour, showing her outside time was mostly in the shade—a bookish type.

“Well, hello again, Leon,” she greeted cheerfully. She was the one who had called down from the upper level earlier. That sugar sweet voice made Cid’s heart leap unexpectedly. He turned red (although it was impossible to tell under all the mud) and looked down at his roughed up boots. “How was your trip?”

“Not so good,” Leon admitted with a sigh. “We made no progress with the Radiant Garden reconstruction plan. People just aren’t listening. I think the Bastion isn’t the only thing that’s hollow around here.”

Cid shuffled nervously. He couldn’t take being still for so long, especially when he was uncomfortable. Leon noticed him through the corner of his eye and looked up in realization.

“Oh, yes, Aerith, this is Bear Cid,” he introduced. “Bear Cid, this is Aerith. She’s the one who handles all the research and magic in our party.”

“Nice to meet you.” Aerith smiled at him in such a relaxed manner that Cid wondered where in the world she got her courage from. There was no sign of fear on her at all. Could it be possible that she wasn’t scared of him? Doesn’t that defy some sort of law?

She held out a hand towards him. It looked smooth and clean, quite in contrast to Cid’s own. But, as he examined more closely, he realized that her fingernails were a pale green—she was the one responsible for the flourishing garden outside. Awkwardly, he shook hands with her, grimacing as he noticed that her once well-washed hand had gone practically black with his unhygienic ways.

“My, you seem to be in quite an unclean state, Mr. Bear Cid,” she said, regarding her hand and then him with a sort of cool realization. “Would you like to use our bath upstairs?”

Oh, would he! But he knew he couldn’t, or Sephiroth would come and cleave him clear in half and take his soul down to the dark depths of demonic evil. When he looked at it that way, a bath didn’t seem that substantial.

“No, thanks, ma’am, but I’m grateful for the offer.” He gave a thin smile that Aerith returned with her own.

“Say, Aerith, where are Tifa and Yuffie?” Leon asked, and right at that moment, a dark-haired girl leaped down from the second floor, landing gracefully in front of them, while a second slid down the banister with an excited “whoopee!” Cid jumped back instinctively, his nerves frazzled from the sudden appearance of the two ladies.

“Honestly, do you have to make such a scene?” Leon sighed, putting a hand against his forehead.

“Aw, you’re no fun, Squally!” cried the girl who had slid down the banister. She looked younger than the others, with a round face and short, black hair that hung down rather childishly. Though her skin wasn’t tanned, she had freckles all over her face, showing she was constantly in the sunlight. She had a silly, toothy grin, and her movements were tomboyish—nonetheless she was quite pretty, with long eyelashes and innocent brown eyes, she looked like a doll.

The older woman beside her was positively gorgeous, like she could’ve been a supermodel or something. Her long, chocolate hair was smooth and shiny, slinking all the way down her back. She had slanted, dark eyes that made her seem dangerous. Her skin was tanned and she looked tough, but she moved with grace. She was dressed in light, easy-to-move in battle gear, proving she was an active warrior.

“It’s Leon,” Leon grumbled hopelessly, sounding like he’d been through this a million times before.

“What the hell is that?” the one that looked like a supermodel asked, her voice as sharp as a knife. She pointed at Cid, who gulped and tugged at his jacket.

“This is Bear Cid,” Leon replied, his eyes narrowing to order the young woman to behave. “Bear Cid, that charmer in front of you is Tifa. The noisy one is Yuffie.”

“Hey, who are you calling noisy?!” Yuffie cried out, her voice turning shrill. Leon rolled his eyes before turning to Cid.

“Please make yourself at home,” Leon said politely. “We’ll just be a moment.”

Cid watched as Leon beckoned the three girls into the kitchen. He figured it was one of those “be on your best behaviour” speeches, except it was a little warped so that it would be “try not to beat up the ape man if you ever get surprised by him”.

xXx

Cid was wrong. Their talk was composed of totally different elements than he’d expected. As a matter of fact, those few minutes in the kitchen determined his whole life afterwards, because, as soon as Leon had shut the door, he turned to look at them with utmost seriousness, and told them all that Cid had done for them.

“Are you trying to tell us that…that thing out there might have just saved our butts from extinction?” Tifa asked, her face changing into a mixture between horror and joy. Leon nodded.

“Oh, how lovely!” Aerith cooed, putting a hand against her face and beaming. “Why, he must be very kind-hearted to do such a thing.”

“Yes, but we owe him our lives for such a favour.” Leon scratched the back of his head and looked down at his black boots awkwardly. “Well, at least, one of our lives.”

Yuffie cocked her head to the side. “What do you mean, Squally?” The three females stared at him with intensity. Leon felt his determination begin to waver.

“I’m saying…I’m saying that I think one of you should start dating him. As, you know, a sign of our gratitude.” The three girls continued watching him, just with more disbelief printed on their faces. Aerith put her hand against her mouth with a muffled “oh my”, Tifa’s jaw practically dropped to the floor, and Yuffie collapsed in a chair.

“You’re not serious!” Tifa yelled. “You want us to be an unknown creature’s girlfriend? Are you freaking bonkers, Leon?!”

The other two seemed to agree. Aerith’s eyes were wide and Yuffie had gone pale.

“I understand how you feel. And I know it’s a strange request. But…” Leon crossed his arms and stared them down. “Bear Cid has just done us an enormous favour that we should be extremely grateful for. We have to accept him into our group somehow. Even though there’s no room for him to live in this house, we need to keep a connection with him, and help him with whatever problems he encounters. There’s no way to keep him near unless…well…he falls in love.”

There was silence and Aerith nodded in comprehension to the statement.

“Well…I suppose one of us…could do it…” she said quietly, but Tifa stomped her foot down angrily.

“No bloody way!” she shouted. “I’m not wasting my time with some gross, hairy enigma! Choose between Yuffie and Aerith, because I’m out of here!” She stormed out of the kitchen, probably sailing right past Cid without speaking to him, and exited the house fuming. Leon turned to Aerith and Yuffie with a sigh. They looked at each other, not sure what to do.

“I…I must say I’m feeling uncertain about this as well, Leon,” Aerith finally admitted. “I mean, I have to admit I don’t fancy the idea of dating anyone, especially now that Cloud’s gone off to find Sephiroth…” A blank expression came over her face and before anyone knew it they had lost her to her thoughts. Leon felt bad for Aerith, and he knew he would feel too guilty to force her to date Bear Cid, so he turned to Yuffie with hope in his eyes.

Yuffie bit her lip and curled her legs under her chair. She looked a little green, and she couldn’t look Leon in the eye.

“I…I’m not sure…” she stuttered, her voice suddenly soft. She always spoke that way when she felt pressured.

“Please, Yuffie. Bear Cid could mean the world to us, and we for him. I mean, he has no friends, and we can make him happy; we need options and more people, and something tells me he can provide us with all the opportunities we need.” He walked up to her and knelt on the ground, forcing her to look at him. “The only thing we’re missing…is a link.”

xXx

Cid was more than surprised when Yuffie asked him out for breakfast. And then lunch. And then dinner. Each time she offered him a date with her, her brown eyes were filled with some sort of determination, a look that screamed, “I can do this, and I will.” Cid didn’t question her intentions, but went around with her willingly. At first, Yuffie was embarrassed by all the people who stared at Cid; later she became accustomed to it; but after awhile she got angry and shouted at anyone who dared to scream at his appearance, or even stare too long. There was an inner fire burning so brightly in the doll-like girl that Cid was constantly impressed by her. Leon had been right—she wasn’t just any normal female. She was as dangerous as a hungry tiger.

Sometime along their series of outings and innings, Cid started falling for her. In his eyes, she was a warrior of some sort—to go out with a monster, work hard for something she believed in, and ignore the people who didn’t agree with her were all incredible feats—and he, who had only known the kind of girls who covered their faces with make-up and did nothing for themselves, couldn’t deny he was attracted by her stubbornness. Never in his life had he met such a specimen as Yuffie Kisaragi.

One day, on their thirteenth date (he had been keeping track), Cid had to break the bad news to her. They were sitting lazily outside under a shady old oak tree while eating a picnic lunch, talking amiably with each other. When a comfortable, loving silence fell over the two, Yuffie noticed some ants walking up in a trail to her leftover breadcrumbs. She giggled with delight as they lifted pieces of ham sandwich that were three times bigger than they were. Cid watched her sunny face carefully. Her short, black bob was sleek and shone in the sun; her chocolate eyes twinkled happily; freckles ran all along her cheeks, and even her little button nose; her lips were a shell pink. Best of all, she never wore makeup. Cid couldn’t stand makeup. It was far too weak to mask your flaws with some powdery colour you could rub on your face.

He considered his life with her so far once more—he had never been happier, and she treated him better than anyone else, but they never had any physical interaction. They couldn’t hold hands, for his nails would hurt her and the dirt would transfer onto her. They couldn’t hug, for he smelled terrible and his jacket scratched her. They most certainly couldn’t kiss for all those reasons mashed together, and also it was impossible to find his lips under all that beard. Like it or not, there was this impassable wall between them that he couldn’t do anything about, and it might always be there depending on what happened. Finally, he turned to her, feeling his voice scratch against his throat.

“Yuffie, if I leave, will ye wait fer me?” There. He had said it. His stomach turned over as she looked up at him in bewilderment.

“Leave? What do you mean, leave? Aren’t you happy here?” she asked, all in a rush. He lowered his head sadly. He couldn’t see her suffer like this. He didn’t want her to fall in love with a monster. He didn’t want to be separated from her. It was all too painful for him.

Three years left of this terrible deal he had made with Sephiroth. Three years separation, and then afterwards they had the rest of their lives to be happy together. They were young yet—the three years would soon be forgotten, he was sure.

“I’m very happy,” Cid replied. “I can’t tell ye my reasons, so please just bear with me. I need just three years, I promise.”

“Three years?!” Yuffie looked baffled. She swung her legs from underneath her and nimbly leapt to her feet. “That’s such a long time! Can’t you come back sooner?”

Cid shook his head. “It’s complicated. Now, I’ll ask ye again: If I leave, will ye wait fer me?”

She looked at him, and then down at her shoes. “…Of course I would,” she said quietly. Cid blushed. Luckily, she couldn’t see it happen—one of the perks to being covered in grime.

“This is how it’ll work,” he told her. “I’ll be gone fer three years. If I’m not back by that time, I’ll be dead, I guarantee ye. The second the last day ends and I still haven’t showed up, I want ye to forget all about me. Can ye do that?”

Yuffie stared at him, wide-eyed, her eyes shining in the light a little more than usual. Finally, slowly, she nodded. He smiled sympathetically, even though she couldn’t see it, and reached into his pocket, pulling out his old pair of pilot goggles that he was no longer permitted to wear, and gave it to her.

“’Ere,” he commented, as Yuffie examined the goggles with tearful curiosity. “Somethin’ to remember me by. If I die, do me a favour and smash ’em to pieces.”

“I couldn’t do that!” she cried, startled. “Bear Cid, this is too much! When are you going? Next week? Next month?”

“Now,” he stated firmly. “Today.”

She gaped at him for a moment, opening her mouth as if to speak, but than promptly closed it again. Finally, she untied the black and white ribbon she always wore around her head and handed it to him.

“Something to remember me by,” she remarked, her voice no higher than a whisper. He smiled, his eyes as sad and watery as a puppy’s as he took it from her and placed it carefully in his pocket.

“See ya, Yuffie.”

“Bye…Bear Cid.”

And as he walked away, a fire burned in his heart, because now he knew for sure that he had something to live for.

xXx

The next three years were painful, and not just for Cid, but Yuffie as well. While Cid had to put up with his thoughts of missing Yuffie and how much uglier he had become, Yuffie had to put up with Tifa and Aerith, who wouldn’t let her hear the end of it about the hideous Bear Cid, who she now had made an oath to.

“I’m just concerned that he might harm you,” Aerith told her in her warm voice that Yuffie was starting to hate. “I mean, his nails do resemble talons.”

“Watch out!” Tifa would always say, jumping out of corners just to frighten the raven-haired girl. “You’d be better off hurting his feelings instead of being so nice! Bears take a liking to sweet things, and if you’re not careful he’ll eat you up!”

Eventually, after hearing Tifa’s bear jokes repeated again and again, Aerith’s worry warped into amusement. After all, the girl was dating a monster. It was impossible to not find humour in it, she thought.

One day, after Tifa had cracked another insult at Cid’s expense, Aerith giggled and added, “You should keep him pleased, Yuffie, or he’ll growl at you.”

Tifa chortled and said, “Don’t worry about it, Aerith. At least the wedding will be fun. I hear bears can dance well.” The two girls laughed in delight at their sense of humour. Yuffie felt tears of rage well up in her eyes.

“Bear Cid and I are not getting married, and he’s actually a very nice man!” she yelled. “So can you guys ease up on the bear cracks?! For Pete’s sake!”

This is how Yuffie’s day usually went from then on. When she got so upset that she would end up curled up in her room, Leon would come in and comfort her, telling he she was very strong and that he would talk to Tifa and Aerith about it. Of course, talking had never controlled Tifa before.

Meanwhile, Cid helped all he could with society, and did good deeds to keep the atmosphere around him up. He sent thoughts up to heaven sometimes, for he wasn’t allowed to pray, saying he hoped Yuffie was doing well, and that they would be able to see each other again.

xXx

Eventually, the last day of Cid’s unhygienic ways dawned, and Cid was so excited that he could finally take a bath, let alone see Yuffie again, that before the sun even rose he raced back into the forest, searching for the circle of trees where he had first met Sephiroth. When he found it, the enchanted trees moved in on him once more, but he paid them no heed and sat down on the dewy grass and waited.

A few minutes later, there was the whooshing sound of something big gliding through the air. Originally, that sound had nearly given Cid a heart attack. This time it filled him with a bubbly happiness. Sephiroth landed a little less smoothly than last time. He glared at Cid, tired and disappointed that the man had survived.

“Well, well, someone’s here early,” the demon remarked, swallowing back a yawn. Cid bit back laughter. Before the silver-haired man had seemed like the most terrifying creature on the planet. Sephiroth looked just silly now, with dark circles under his eyes and his clothes all wrinkled.

“Don’t matter what time it is,” Cid remarked gruffly, trying not to sound too much like he was gloating. “Today’s the day. I did all that ye asked, and now it’s yer end of the bargain. Bath time, ya villainous creature.”

Sephiroth took a step forward, reluctantly taking off the terribly scented bearskin and jacket. He curled his lip in disgust.

“Ugh! You smell awful!” he shouted, immediately dropping the offending garments and pinching his nose with his gloved fingers.

“Now whose fault is that?” Cid asked, annoyed. What was he expecting, for him to smell like a freshly-picked rose? “Now get scrubbin’!”

xXx

“Ah…this is the life,” Cid sighed happily as he stood up. He smelled like soap and shampoo. His hair had been cut and brushed so it had returned to its sandy blond colour, his face washed, his beard shaven off so his face felt as smooth as a newborn baby’s, and his toenails clipped and manicured, all done by Sephiroth himself. Best of all, his bearskin coat had been replaced with a nice-looking white collared shirt and jeans, with a wraparound orange belt. Cid couldn’t remember the last time he had felt this good. “Hey, Sephy, you should consider startin’ a cleanin’ business fer yerself. Ye’re awful good at it.”

“Shut up!” Sephiroth snapped irritably. “And don’t call me Sephy!” Cid covered his hand with his mouth to chuckle. He was delighted to find that it smelled like jasmine. “Anyway, since that’s all taken care of, I see no reason why I should stay.”

“Now hold on a minute!” cried Cid, causing the one-winged angel to pause for a second and turn halfway to face him. “What about my munny?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Sephiroth sighed, starting to get angry. “You’ll never be without munny. Your pockets shall always be full. Goodbye, Bear Cid…or should I say, Cid. ‘Til we meet again.” Then with that, Sephiroth flew into the sky, disappearing into the fading grey mist. Cid looked after him for a moment, mesmerized by his good fortune. But he deserved it. He knew that for sure.

He walked over to the bearskin lying on the ground. It had been his best companion for quite a few years, and now it just looked like a piece of junk. He picked it up and searched through its pocket, pulling out a black and white ribbon. Looking at it with a satisfied smile, he tied it around his head.

“I’m comin’ home, Yuffie,” he murmured, more to himself than to his girlfriend, because the words felt like a shot of adrenaline on his tongue. He dropped the bearskin on the ground and departed through the pathway that had once again opened itself up for him. He grinned at the trees as he walked past, for they, he was sure, also shared his good mood.

xXx

Yuffie tapped her feet on the floor to an indistinct rhythm. It was two o’clock now, and it was the day Bear Cid came back, or she received the news that he was dead. She had faith in Bear Cid, and hoped that he would come see her in one piece. Her heart hammered in her chest. She reached up and felt her fingers skim the cool, dusty goggles sitting atop her head. She released a breath. If he didn’t return, she would be forced to forget all about him. She would have to break the goggles that she had remained loyal to for three years. She shook her head and got rather choked up. Her feelings for Bear Cid were unclear, but she didn’t want him to die.

She clenched her hands into fists and leaped out of her chair, puffing up her cheeks in determination. No! She had to think positively! Thinking about the worst case scenario wouldn’t help! She paced nervously around. Aerith and Tifa were out, apparently searching for Cloud, who was supposed to visit today. Leon was in the kitchen trying to mind his own business, knowing he could say nothing to comfort the nervous girl.

When the clock hit three, the doorbell rang. It was broken, so the melodic “ding dong” noise had been replaced with an annoying buzz. Nonetheless the noise sounded like heaven to Yuffie’s ears. She sprang towards the door and opened it with a bang. There stood a man she had never seen before. He was tall and muscular, with a handsome, sharply cut face and narrow blue eyes. He had short blond hair that spiked at the top, and his skin looked tanned and rough. Her face fell and her heart dropped into her stomach. This wasn’t Bear Cid. Did that mean he was dead?

“Oh, um, hi there,” she said, unable to hide the dejection in her voice. “What can I do for you?”

The man smiled, showing uneven yet pearly white teeth.

“Ye could kiss me.” His tone was gruff and kind of hoarse. It sounded familiar—so familiar that Yuffie’s face flushed an excited red and she could feel energy once again pumping through her body. That was when she noticed the ribbon tied around his head—her ribbon.

“N-No way,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Bear Cid?”

“Ye can just call me Cid if ye want,” the man suggested, and suddenly Yuffie was sure. She swung her arms around his neck and kissed him, hard and long. They were able to touch now, unlike before. The barrier was down. Anything went from here.

Whew! Done, finally! I can’t believe I managed to get through this one. Nonetheless, it ran beautifully for me. Bearskin is a very sweet story. I have to admit, of course, that I softened it up a bit, and added way more romance than intended in the original. I hope you enjoyed it, ‘cause I enjoyed writing it!

NOTE TO ALL READERS: I have opened up a new account on Fiction Press! My first chapter for my new story, Two For Tea, is already up. I would love it if you checked it out and left a review for me. All you have to do is head over to .com, go to the search engine, and type in “sweet randomness” under the author’s search. Much appreciated! Thanks! I’ll leave more information on the perfect sorceress page!

Well, awesome! See you again in the realm of fairytales…sometime…

Oh, and AGAIN, if you’re interested in checking out the original fairytales, look up “Vasilissa the Beautiful” (my first one) or “Bearskin” (this one) on Google, and the original story should come up somewhere. Awesome!

Read and review!

’Til we meet again!