cure? *NOT CANON*

_{"Gosh, I hope he's okay... Think he'll wake up soon?"
"Axl, give him some space. He can sleep as long as he wants to. In fact, sleep might be good for him; I suppose he might be in shock..."}

Zero groaned, shivering. He was surrounded, enveloped in the warm, sleepy, silent embrace of complete darkness. Didn't need to get up, walk, look around. His tired, completely sore body didn't need to exert any bit of effort. He could just sleep.

...hear sounds... voices?!... wha's going on?... ?!... they must want to do something to me!... 
Zero's eyes snapped open. Listening to his instincts, he sat bolt upright and, with a snarl, lashed out. X and Axl jumped back, startled.  "Zero!" Axl yelped. "It- it's okay! You're okay! Y- you're cured!"
Zero drew back, holding up his right arm like a dog holding up an injured paw, and slowly looked down at himself. He held his right hand out, turning it over to display his palm, slowly curling and uncurling and stretching his fingers. 
Zero was just a Reploid again.
He turned his bewildered, blue-eyed gaze up to X, who smiled kindly as he and Axl sat down in front of him. X tilted his head to the side.
"Do you... feel okay, Zero?" He asked gently. Zero tilted his head to the side, as if thinking, then opened his mouth and let out a rasp.
"Rrrgh?"
Immediately, X and Axl were both alert, as if expecting Zero to suddenly transform back into a wolf. When he showed no signs of transforming, they relaxed. An expression of concern came over X's face, and he looked at Axl. "Can you please go get Dagger and bring her here?" He asked politely. Axl nodded and, casting a worried glance at Zero, stood up and left to find Dagger. X edged closer to Zero and put a hand on his shoulder. The red-armored Reploid flinched and drew back, snarling, and X let out an anxious sigh.
Zero's eyes widened; he seemed to sense the degree of X's concern. He let out a whimper of anguish, inched towards X, and lay down, resting his head on the blue-armored Reploid's lap. X looked mildly surprised, but he smiled kindly and gently stroked the side of Zero's head. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay, Zero." He murmured reassuringly. Zero let out a soft, contented grunt as he snuggled up to X. They sat like this for a while, with X stroking Zero's head and Zero curled up close to X. The red-armored Reploid suddenly jerked his head up, snarling. "Wh- what's wrong, Zero?" X asked nervously, turning to see what Zero was looking at, and then sighing in relief as he saw it was just Axl and Dagger. Zero's growling became louder as Dagger and Axl sat down in front of him.
"Oh, dear..." Dagger remarked quietly. "It seems like the virus did more damage to him than I'd initially thought. What if..."
She suddenly went pale. X tilted his head to the side. "What if what?"
Dagger gulped. "I'd rather not finish that sentence."
Still growling, Zero drew back from Dagger and slowly backed away. "Zero!" X cried out. "I- I told you it's okay! Dagger's not gonna hurt you!"
Zero's eyes went wide.
Dagger?...
He concentrated, thinking.
Dagger... Dagger!
On all fours, he scrambled back towards X. He looked up at Dagger and rasped, "Ahr?"
Dagger looked relieved. "It looks like he at least recognizes me... How do you feel, Zero?"
"Rhh... urrh..." Zero seemed to be struggling to form words. Giving up, he leaned against X and let out a huff. Dagger stood up and began to pace back and forth, muttering to herself, while X lay down and let Zero curl up against him. They all remained like this for a while...
Then Axl let out a frightened gasp.
"X, look!"
X opened his eyes. Dagger stopped pacing and hurried over to them. "What is... Oh!" She yelped.
Long, silver, razor-sharp claws were emerging from Zero's fingertips. The Reploid whimpered, unaware of what was happening. Reddish-blonde fur began to sprout up all over him. At this moment, Zero opened his eyes- and sat bolt upright, yelping and barking frantically in panic and pain as a muzzle emerged from his face. In a matter of moments, he had transformed back into a wolf again. 
"Rrhh?! Grrrh?!?!" Zero uttered small, frightened yips and barks. Pressing himself close to X, he tilted his head back and howled in grief. "Aaooowwwwrrrrh!"
"X, Axl, get away from him!" Dagger yelled as the two Reploids stood and backed away from Zero. The wolf stood up on all fours, bounded towards X, and pressed himself against the blue Reploid's foot, trembling and whining. X looked down at him, then over at Dagger, who looked mildly confused.
"He's... not savage?" Thoughtfully, she fingered her left horn and remarked, "Could it be... maybe something in the mixture I gave to him suppresses the savage aspect of a Nightmare Wolf?..." 
X sat down and gently stroked Zero's neck. The wolf let out a shivery sigh of content and put his head in X's lap again. Dagger and Axl sat down by Zero, and Axl scratched Zero's back. Dagger looked somewhat disappointed, but hope glittered in her eyes.
"Perhaps... we're a little bit closer to finding a cure."