Astrid walked on, keeping an eye on the darkening sky. The four males followed closely behind her.

"So, uh, what did you mean back there when you said 'condition'?" Prompto cautiously asked.

The she-wolf paused, looking over her shoulder at him. "There are times...when I lose control of myself."

"Whaddya mean?" Noctis inquired. "You go full lycan or something?"

She sighed harshly. "Yes..." She continued moving. "Sometimes my mind just goes hazy...my vision goes black...and when I come to, I find myself in the midst of something I don't even remember."

"It's as if you're truly becoming a lycan, inside and out," Ignis pointed out.

Astrid's ears drooped. "Kimya has tried mixing formulas to keep it from happening, or snap me out of it when it does. But nothing works."

"That's why we need to take down the lycan," Gladio said. "It might be the only way to help you, and make sure no one else goes through this."

Astrid abruptly stopped, twisting around to face them with a fearful look. "You must be extremely careful. A single bite --- even just a scrape of a tooth --- and you'll become a lycan too." She suddenly started snarling, her ears flattening back against her head. The boys summoned their weapons, wary of her. "Duck!" she ordered.

All four got down, immediately seeing a large soldier wasp darting right over them. Astrid leapt up, slamming into the giant insect and sinking her teeth into it. The wasp wobbled in the air, struggling to get the she-wolf off. Astrid grabbed onto its sickle-like legs, using her strength to rip them right off its body. The wasp finally plummeted to the ground, and Astrid finished it off by digging her claws into its head, ripping it apart. She stood over the insect's corpse, looking over at the males.

"Uh, thanks," Noctis muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"You saved our lives," Ignis mumbled.

A small smile tugged at her lips. "Don't mention it."

Prompto was quick to snap a shot of the she-wolf and her kill. "That was awesome! You took that thing down like it was nothing!"

"Just like a hunter," Gladio added.

With a proud sparkle in her eyes, Astrid led them farther. They came to a small river with a haven just on the opposite side. It had gotten completely dark now, which made the haven a welcoming sight. They waded through the water to the campsite, where they decided to grab a meal before setting out to face the lycan.

"So, the lycan is nocturnal, right?" the prince questioned. Astrid nodded. "So it should be waiting for us deeper in?"

"Want me to confirm it?" the she-wolf replied.

Before anyone could respond, she tilted her head up and howled at the moonlit sky above. They all quieted, listening. There was a deeper, more distant howl from farther in the woods. The lycan had answered her call.

"No doubt that it's out there," the advisor said. "As soon as I whip up supper, we can go and face it."

They all talked a bit and shared a few laughs while waiting. Ignis served them up some Toadsteak Drumsticks. Astrid practically wolfed them down like a starved, ravenous animal. She even took the time to chew on the bones afterwards, slowly crunching them up in her strong jaws.

Ignis chuckled lightly at her. "I'm guessing the meal was to your liking?"

Astrid froze, finally noticing the amused stares of the others. Her ears went down a little as she kept her gaze on her plate, embarrassed. "Y-yeah. It was delicious. Thanks for allowing me to eat with you."

"It's a pleasure to serve someone who thoroughly enjoys what I make," Ignis told her.

Astrid politely got up, giving her empty plate to Ignis. While the others continued eating, she went down by the river alone. She sat there for a short while, enjoying the peace and quiet, at least until her vision went black. Gladio went down to get her after he'd finished his meal. He saw her crouched at the water's edge, peering down into the flowing river. He strolled right over to her.

"Hey, Astrid. We're heading out in a minute."

He lightly smacked her back to get her attention. The she-wolf's head instantly snapped up, her teeth bared in a threatening snarl. Her blue eyes were in a cold glare as she rose to her feet, turning to face him. Gladio stepped back, taken aback by her reaction.

"Astrid? Don't tell me... Guys, we got a problem!"

The others rushed to the edge of the haven, their eyes wide upon seeing what was happening. "Gladio, get outta there!" Noctis shouted. "She's not herself!"

Before the shield could move, Astrid tackled him. Gladio saw her jaws coming at his face, and used his arm to block her. He quickly found himself on the ground, the she-wolf pinning him with his arm in her jaws. He winced as her fangs sunk into his flesh, causing blood to flow out between her teeth, painting her muzzle deep red. She growled, staring straight down at him as he tried to pry her jaws open.

"Astrid! Snap out of it!"

In an instant, Astrid froze, regaining control of herself. She immediately released his arm and got off him, stepping back in shock as the others came running down to help their friend up.

"I-I'm...so sorry..." She was horrified by her actions and glanced down at her claws, the taste of blood in her mouth. "I...didn't mean..."

Gladio grinned through his pained grimace, holding his bloodied arm. "I've had worse, don't worry about it."

Prompto gasped. "Wh-what if you become a lycan now too?!"

"Only the original lycan can turn others," Ignis said, using a potion to heal the tattooed male. His wounds mended themselves.

"We need to hurry and take down that thing," Noctis said.

"Go without me," Astrid interrupted. Gladio started to move toward her, but stopped when she fearfully jumped back. "Please...go. I'm too far gone... I'm a monster."

The shield took a step toward her. "Astrid-"

"Go!" she growled. "Before I hurt anyone else..."

Unable to argue or change her mind, the boys gave in and pressed onward, leaving Astrid behind. They knew it wasn't her fault, even Gladio didn't blame her, but there was no way they could convince her otherwise. They ventured deep into the thicket, coming across ripped up clothes on the ground. They picked up the dog tag lying amidst the articles of clothing, seeing Astrid's name on it. They hung onto it, wanting to return it to her once they finished what they came to do.

The royal retinue finally came to a large clearing. With only the moon's glow and the light of their flashlights, they scanned the area as best they could. At the far end of the clearing, they found a royal tomb. Just as Noctis was about to approach the door, a deep growl from above made him freeze. He jerked his head up, meeting the golden gaze of a wolf-like beast perched on top of the stone tomb.

"Lycan!" Prompto cried in alarm.

The black-furred beast jumped down at the prince, who swiftly phased out of the way. The four friends summoned their weapons. The lycan charged them, swiping its claws at them, forcing them to scatter.

"Whatever you do, do not let it bite you!" Ignis warned. "We certainly don't need another lycan problem!"

Prompto fired several rounds at it while Ignis tossed a dagger, lodging into its abdomen. The wolf creature simply growled in anger, seemingly unaffected by the wounds inflicted upon it.

Prompto gulped. "Uh, why aren't our attacks working?!"

Noctis warped onto its back, driving his blade into its flesh. It roared in pain, furiously swiping at him and shaking to get him off. Noctis watched as the bloody puncture he made started healing back up. He was quick to warp away, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"It's healing! What are we supposed to do?!"

The lycan was getting annoyed with their attacks, and began darting around, trying to catch them with its claws or fangs. It honed in on Noctis and Ignis, swiping and snapping at them. The prince phased around its attacks while his advisor expertly dodged each and every move. Gladio rushed in from behind, slashing his greatsword at the lycan, leaving a massive gash across its back. The wolf twisted around, tackling the shield. Gladio blocked its jaws with his blade, protecting himself from its fangs. But with the lycan's strength, it pushed him down onto his back, trapping him.

"Hang on, big guy!"

Prompto shot at the beast, earning its attention. The blond shrieked as the lycan charged at him. Before it reached him, something tackled the boy from the side, sending him tumbling out of the way. He looked up, immediately seeing a familiar she-wolf crouched over him, snarling and snapping at the lycan.

"Astrid?" Prompto grinned. "You came back!"

She glanced down at him, flashing him a small smile. "Figured you could use a hand." She set her gaze on the lycan, standing to face it. "Guys, it has rapid healing capabilities! You need to wound it in a way that it can't recover!"

She tackled the lycan, her jaws clamping down on its muzzle as she clawed its face and eyes, temporarily blinding it. Noctis and Ignis moved in while it was vulnerable, slicing away at it while Prompto shot at it, careful not to hit any of his allies. The lycan managed to catch Astrid's side with its claws, knocking her away. Noctis was quick to warp around and slice across its face. Astrid got up and tackled it down onto its stomach on the ground, pinning it for a moment.

"Stand back!" Gladio yelled.

Astrid jumped back as the tattooed male leapt in, slashing his sword down onto the lycan's neck, severing it like a guillotine. The beast went limp, completely lifeless. Everyone took a moment to catch their breath once it was over.

"The lycan..." Astrid breathed out. "It's dead..."

She grinned and gave a victory howl. As she did so, her body began morphing. She shrank down, shedding her fur and wolf features. In mere moments, a human girl stood in place of the wolf. Her hair was black and came up around her shoulders, and her eyes were still the same vibrant blue as they'd always been. The boys were quick to look away though, as she was completely naked. Gladio was quick to remove his leather jacket, tossing it to her. She slipped it on for the time being, covering herself. The shield then went over, handing her the dog tag she'd dropped before.

"Thank you, boys..." she said with a smile. "I never thought I'd return to my old self again. Thanks for helping me."

"No sweat," Gladio replied. "Just don't go hunting any more beasts of legend."

She laughed lightly. "I won't. You can count on it." She went to the lycan's body, picking up its head. "But I'm certainly not going back empty-handed. This'll make a nice trophy, don't you think?"

"If you say so," the prince answered, slightly disgusted. "My prize is waiting right over there."

He collected the royal arm from the tomb. The five then left the Malmalam Thicket, returning to Kimya. Astrid got some old, raggedy clothes from her to wear until she got back to HQ. She thanked the Witch of the Woods for everything, and left, soon parting ways with the boys as well. She certainly had a tale to tell once she got back to Meldacio, and the proof for anyone who questioned it. One thing was for sure though, she'd never forget about the lycan, the four boys that helped her, or the experience she earned from this ordeal. After all, it's not everyday someone gets to become the very creature they hunt.

The End