Hey, guys. I haven't uploaded much of anything forever. I know I don't finish my stories, but I'm gonna try and finish this one. This starts in Episode 4 and I plan to follow the episodes pretty closely with some changes here and note that since I assume you will have seen Wolf's Rain, I won't be describing things as much. I understand that that's a flaw I have, but I've never been good at describing scenery...

Disclaimer: I don't own Wolf's Rain. If I did, it would not be as amazing as it is. However, I own Feray and everything about her you will see in this story.


Chapter 1: Of Blood and Claws

The streets of the city were shabby at best. Dirt and grime clung to the worn down buildings and a haze of pollution hung overhead, blotting out what little light the sun managed to put out through the gray clouds. Somewhere in one of the empty alleyways, a fire crackled in a can. Several men sat around it, each one looking more scraggly than the one before him. To most passerby's, the scene would appear to be relatively normal. However, to a rare visitor, it would appear to be a very different scene.

Emerald green eyes surveyed the area before being trained upon a group of four males, varying in ages. The youngest in the group appeared to be fourteen or so while the oldest was probably in his early twenties. The pair of eyes blinked, taking in the features of each male. The youngest of the group was significantly shorter with mahogany red hair. Next up age wise was a brunette, his hair sticking up in odd places. Another blink. How peculiar. The next older male stood slightly ahead of the others, hinting that perhaps he was the leader of, what appeared to be, the ragtag group. His shaggy hair was dark brown in color. And finally, the eldest of the group had silvery white hair with several strands hanging longer than the others.

"Where are you going?" one of the men around the fire stood up and turned to the boys, a thick scar running across his left cheek.

"To paradise," the youngest of the group said, sounding determined. There was a pregnant pause before the entire group burst out in laughter. "Kiba, why are they laughing?" the youngest drew closer to the taller boy with shaggy brown hair.

"Because they don't know anything about Paradise," the boy named Kiba replied calmly. The laughter slowed to a stop before the scarred leader spoke again.

"We know all about it," he said. Kiba's blue eyes narrowed. As he scanned the scene again, there were no longer men sitting about but wolves instead.

"Paradise doesn't exist!" one of the others said, staring hard at the dark-haired male who had remained silent. "It's just a fairytale."

"What makes you say that?" Kiba asked, keeping his stoic expression. The wolf smirked.

"Maybe because we've been there. There's nothing to see," he huffed.

"Well that's no surprise," the white-haired male of the group said, looking smug.

"You'll find out soon enough," the leader of the pack said. Kiba turned his head and continued on, acting as though nothing had occurred. The three others followed close behind him. As the emerald eyes continued to watch, four wolves took the place of the boys. The leader, Kiba, was a pure white color while the pup's fur was a deep red. The other was brown while the oldest was a deep gray color. The four wolves slowed to a stop and turned around as a new scene unfolded in front of them.

"Whoa, it's another female," the brown wolf commented. Kiba's amber eyes watched as she hurried to where they once were standing by the pack of males in the alley. Her coat was dark, rivaling coal in its black color, though it slowly transitioned to leave her stomach a snowy white, similar to Kiba's fur. Standing out against the black fur were five claws strung on a tough-looking twine that was worn like a necklace. Her eyes were a deep green color, currently glaring hard at the men who had rebuked the boys. She snarled, taking an offensive stance.

"What do you really know about Paradise, huh?" she growled. "I'm willing to bet my life that the Paradise you saw was really just you shoving your head up your own ass!" Her fangs were bared.

"What was that?" the other wolf growled in retaliation, standing from his spot on the ground and approaching her.

"Moss, stand down!" the leader commanded. The command fell on deaf ears.

"Kiba… should we do something?" the red wolf asked.

"No way. It's none of our business," the gray wolf retorted, turning to walk away.

"But Tsume… she's… a girl…"

"You're gonna die real quick if you don't learn your place," Moss said, curling his upper lip. The female wolf smirked, daring him to attack.

"I dunno. I've lived pretty long with this silver tongue of mine," she taunted haughtily.

"Then I'll have to rip it out of you, won't I?" he snarled before lunging at her. The black wolf rolled onto her back, using her hind legs to push the male wolf farther than he had intended to jump. This sent him careening into the wall that surrounding the island city. He yelped as his back hit the wall, though this was hardly a deterrent. He snapped at her, managing to nip her ear. It was her turn to yelp in pain as blood quickly flowed out of the small, but open, wound.

"Kiba! We have to do something!" the red wolf insisted, beginning to inch towards the fight.

"Stay out of it, Toboe!" Tsume demanded. The pup whined.

"You talk big, but you don't have the skills to back it up, do you?" Moss scoffed as his claws managed to rake the side of her face. She winced but didn't reply as she pounced at him. He bit at her ear again as she drew close but her momentum knocked him off balance. She threw her head against his, further unbalancing him. Without skipping a beat, she used her paw to push Moss on his back, following him down. Before he knew it, he could feel the female's fangs threatening to close on his windpipe.

"Take that back. You've lost," she said simply. There was a certain softness to the edge in her voice, almost as though she were showing him mercy. "Paradise is so much more than you could ever fathom. No true wolf would dare say otherwise." She released his neck and got off of him, turning her back to the other wolf and walking towards the pack of four.

"Sounds like Kiba," the brown wolf commented, his tail wagging.

"What are you so excited about, Hige?" Toboe questioned, turning to look at his companion.

"Just look at her. She's so beautiful," Hige commented quietly. The three jumped as Kiba suddenly snarled and surged forward. The black wolf instantly went on guard, taking on a defensive stance. However, Kiba leapt over her crouching figure, colliding with Moss in mid-air.

"You already lost, yet you still strike when her back is turned? You're disgraceful!" he spat, glaring hard at the other wolf before him. The black wolf turned, baring her fangs once more. As humans, Kiba grabbed the girl's shoulders as she reached out, trying to get to the man behind him.

"Let me at him! I'll rip his throat out!" she screamed, her brown eyes practically burning holes through Kiba's torso as he held her back. Her hair was black, much like her fur, and touched the middle of her back. She was shorter than him by perhaps four or five inches, give or take. Her clothes were baggy, consisting of a pair of oversized cargo shorts, a simple T-shirt, a white jacket, and a weather-proof traveler's cloak. "I could have killed you! I let you live your life, and you go and attack me when my back is turned? You're nothing but a pathetic dog!"

"That's enough," the leader of the other pack said firmly. The girl's attempts to rip through Kiba slowed to a halt. "Get out of here. You're nothing but a pack of no-good kids chasing something that's just a dream," he said, grabbing Moss by the lapels of his shirt and dragging him back to the group. The female wolf growled, watching the others' retreating backs with a deadly glare.

"Let's go," Kiba said, nudging her towards the others in his pack. Her temper cooled as she walked along with the others. Everyone was silent as they reached another part of the town. The five of them took shelter in an abandoned apartment, the female sitting a good distance away from the others. "So who are you? You seem to know a lot about Paradise," Kiba said, training his gaze on the new wolf.

"Name's Feray. I come from a city quite a ways away from here. I had a friend who told me all the stories of Paradise," she explained, tugging at a stray hair.

"What do you know about it?" Kiba questioned.

"Things I thought everyone knew. It's a place where wolves reign supreme, and there are no more worries. It's a place where everything any wolf could ever want is there. It's a place where imagination becomes reality," she continued.

"Wow…" Toboe leaned closer, as though he would miss a word if he didn't. "Is it really like that? That sounds so cool!"

"What about you guys? Who are you all? I've never met anyone else who didn't say that Paradise is just a story."

"I'm Toboe! It's really nice to meet you!" the red-head said cheerily.

"And I'm Hige. Very nice to meet such a fine young lady like yourself," the brown-haired male said while bowing. She ignored his gesture.

"Kiba," the male in question said, tucking his hands in his pockets. Feray's brown eyes turned to the final male who had yet to confirm his identity.

"And you are?" she asked, raising an eyebrow to the taller man.

"Tsume," came the one word reply before he turned to face the remains of a wall. Feray snorted.

"What crawled up his ass and died?" she growled. Toboe looked from one wolf to the other.

"It's okay, really. He's not always like that," he said.

"Could've fooled me," she huffed, crossing her arms. Tsume whirled around, a firm glare etched onto his face.

"What was that?"

"You heard me!"

"Will you guys stop it?" Toboe interjected, stomping his foot.

"Yeah, we're never going to get to Paradise if all you do is fight," Hige added, leaning back and resting his head on his arms.

"Are you traveling alone or have you got a pack going with you?" Kiba asked, staying as calm as ever. Feray looked at him, a 'what do you think' expression on her face.

"If I had a pack, they'd be here with me. I've been searching for Paradise on my own," she explained.

"You could always tag along with us," Hige beamed.

"No way, Porky!" Tsume spat.

"But Tsume… why not?" Toboe whined.

"We don't need another one who's got their head in the clouds about Paradise. I can barely put up with him as is," Tsume's gaze shifted to Kiba as he said this.

"Then why are you traveling with him, huh?" Feray countered. Tsume didn't reply. "Yeah that's what I thought, tough guy."

"Do you know where we go from here?" Kiba inquired.

"Heh, you're just fixated on it, aren't you?" she chuckled. "Yeah, I know which way we've gotta go. Lemme warn you now that it's not a pretty pathway, though," she said.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Toboe leapt up from where he was sitting as though it had burned him. Feray chuckled again.

"Sure. Let's head out, shall we?" she glanced at Kiba who nodded.

The five of them sprinted through the town, Feray slightly ahead of the others.

"So where is this pathway you were talking about?" Kiba asked, running alongside the black wolf.

"It's located in the cemetery of this place. There's an old wolf there that's digging his own grave. He told me about it. According to him, this island used to be covered in lunar flowers. However, they were all dug up and not a single one has been found here since." They slowed down to a trot as they came upon the aforementioned cemetery. Feray sniffed around. "Hey, gramps! You still around here? Haven't keeled over yet, have you?" she called out. A few moments passed in silence before a very elderly looking, gray colored wolf approached them.

"Oh, hello there again," he said kindly, his voice wavering slightly. Despite his old age, he still stood strong on his old paws. "Brought your friends with you now?" he asked.

"You could say that. They're searching for Paradise, just like I am," she explained proudly. He chuckled before a coughing fit overtook him. It died down after a moment.

"Ah such youth! Shall I show you the pathway once again?" he offered. Kiba nodded. "Very well then." And with that, he turned around and began walking. They followed him in silence until they came upon a large pipe that lead underground. Its entrance was mostly boarded up save for a small opening large enough for them to fit through.

The air emanating from it reeked of death. Toboe whined and covered his nose the best he could.

"This place smells horrible!" he complained.

"Quit your whining, runt," Tsume reprimanded.

"This is the way you'll want to take to get to Paradise," the wolf explained. "It's going to be a hard journey. But you all seem like you're prepared for anything," he smiled. A familiar voice suddenly drew their attention away from the tunnel.

"Showing the way to Paradise, huh?" Everyone turned and instantly, Feray went on guard.

"Come back for another ass kicking?" she growled, eyes burning a hole through Moss. Kiba grabbed her shoulder again, pulling her behind him.

"Relax," he muttered, though his gaze was hard.

"If you kids disrupt the peace of this pack in any way, I'll show you no mercy. Now I want you to leave this town before dawn, is that clear?" the leader said before turning around and walking away.

"He certainly doesn't mince words," Hige shrugged, resting his hands behind his head again.

The five wolves sat in an abandoned building, if it could even be called that. The walls were practically torn down, leaving chunks of rubble here and there.

"Where does all that confidence in Paradise even come from?" Tsume spat. "Maybe we should just hang around and die in a gutter," he scoffed. "Start digging holes like that old man."

"It's not confidence," Kiba began. "I'm not really sure what it is, but it's always there screaming inside of me. I just have to know. I have to get there, that's why I've kept on running all this time. I can't imagine living without believing in it." Feray lifted her head from her paws, looking over at the arctic wolf.

"You don't have anything to go back to?" she asked curiously. She was a fair distance away from the others. However, she stood up and dared to draw closer. No one growled or warned her to keep away. Kiba looked at her but didn't honor her question with a response. She wasn't surprised. She was new here. No doubt they would be wary of her.

"What about you?" Hige asked, cracking open a single eye to look at her.

"Heh," she huffed, closing her eyes and laying down, this time joining the loose circle they had made. "Going back would be suicide for me. I can only go forward from here."

Hige suddenly sat up, eyes wide. A woman from the pack earlier stepped around the corner, a bag in her hands. Feray bared her fangs.

"It's okay," the woman said. "My name is Cole. I apologize for Zali's behavior to you earlier," she said. She handed the bag to Hige who had walked over to her. Kiba and Tsume both left wordlessly. It was only by their light steps that Feray even noticed that they had gone. Toboe followed after, only to come back a moment later.

"Guys, Kiba went running off by himself," he said. Feray pushed herself up, a light growl resonating deep within her throat.

"I can smell trouble just around the corner," she said. "I'm going after him," she said, sprinting after the male wolf.

The sounds of snarling and growling served as her guide. As Feray rounded a corner, rage was sparked in her as three brown wolves attacked a lone white wolf – Kiba.

"That's hardly fair," she growled, charging forward and throwing herself at one of the wolves. She bit down on one of their front legs, causing the wolf to yelp in pain. She growled as she felt claws rake across her back, and a pair of fangs closed down on the scruff of her neck. She reared up, throwing the wolf off her back. She managed to catch a glimpse of Kiba fighting along side of her moments before Moss caught her along the side of the face again, his claws digging into the wounds he had left before. She howled in pain.

"Not so tough anymore, are you?" Moss chuckled, kicking her in the side with his hind legs. She slid along the ground, breathing heavily and whimpering as her back touched the wall of the alleyway. Her green eyes were closed and she vaguely heard a dull thud as Kiba also hit the ground.

"I should've killed you earlier," she huffed. She was quickly silenced, however, as Moss dug his fangs deep into her soft belly. She howled again, twitching slightly as he released her.

"Let's go, guys. I think we've taught them enough," Moss said. The sound of their paws against the dirty ground served as a testament of their exit.

She ached and there was no doubt that her fur would be caked with blood later on. Her eyes opened as she heard labored breaths draw closer to her. Kiba was limping her way.

"Why did you get involved?" he asked slowly, his golden gaze locked with hers.

"I had a debt to repay to you," she replied weakly.

"Can you walk?" he asked. She gave a half-hearted chuckle as she struggled to her feet.

"I should ask you the same question. You look worse off than I am," she commented. She faced him, placing her muzzle close to one of his openly bleeding wounds on the side of his face. Without warning, she ran her tongue along the length of the cut. He turned away from her wordlessly, beginning to limp off down a narrow alleyway. She followed after him, cringing with every step she took. She just had to go and open her big mouth didn't she? She growled to herself. She would get back at Moss. Eventually. She didn't know when exactly. "Kiba," she said, watching him collapse against a garbage can. His eyes were closed, and his snow white fur was marred by the small trickles of blood that ran from the open flesh. She stared hard at the unconscious wolf before her. She hesitated for a moment before inching closer and beginning to lick at one of the deeper wounds on his stomach. It didn't take too long for her to clear away most of the blood, leaving the metallic taste and smell locked in her senses. She laid down next to him, careful to avoid the bite wound that Moss had left on her belly. She closed her eyes, soon blacking out after him.

It hadn't been very long since the two had woken up. Kiba insisted that they go somewhere, anywhere. They just couldn't stay where they were.

"You're going to die if you keep pushing yourself like that," Feray commented, walking along side the arctic wolf. He didn't reply. He had hardly spoken since they began their trek to wherever it was they were going to. "But what do I know. I'm just a stray you've decided to allow tag along." That was about the extent of their conversation. The two wolves soon found themselves at the station. Both pairs of eyes went wide at the scene in front of them. The wolves from the pack they had run into the day before were all harnessed. The humans around them were cracking whips, pushing them all to continue on. In one harness, laying on the floor, was the elder wolf who had showed them the path leading to Paradise. There was a blur of white to her left and it took Feray only a moment to realize what was going on. "Kiba, stop!" she growled, chasing after him. Zali, the scarred leader leapt down from the staircase, intercepting Kiba's attempt to attack the humans. The humans began surrounding Kiba and Zali, but Feray wouldn't have any of it. She pounced on them, leaving light claw marks in their fragile bodies. Kiba was soon panting as Zali overpowered his wounded body.

They buried the old wolf in the hole he had dug for himself. Despite the sad event, Feray couldn't help but congratulate him in death for escaping this hell hole.

"I thought I told you not to interfere," said Zali as he looked towards Kiba who was leaning against a rock. "We have our own way of doing things around here."

"Living like a bunch of down and out strays, clinging to this disgusting place and doing what you do! How can you call that a life?" Kiba seemed to be getting angrier as he spoke.

"What the hell do you know about it?"

"You're pathetic."

"You kids, you're still young."

"Yeah? Well we may be younger but we sure seem to be a helluva lot smarter than you all combined!" Feray snorted, standing beside Toboe.

Back in their abandoned home where they had been the day before, the human appearance of Kiba was lying on his back. His shirt and jacket had been removed. Herbs had been pressed against his wounds thanks to Toboe who seemed to know a surprising amount of information for being a pup.

"We should leave," Tsume said, leaning against the remains of what used to be a wall.

"But, Tsume, we can't leave with Kiba like this," Toboe argued.

"Kid's got a point," Feray added, herbs pressed against the wounds on her cheek. She had refused any other treatment, proclaiming that she was used to those sorts of things and that she'd be fine. Kiba's blue eyes fluttered open, and he abruptly sat up.

"Let's go," he said.

"Hold on, you're not going anywhere with these wounds and an empty stomach," Toboe said, pushing Kiba back down again.

"Well Cole brought us some food but you guys turned your noses up to it," Hige shrugged.

"Well since you're the one with the full stomach here, how about you go find something?" Tsume growled. The two bickered for a moment, but Feray decided to tune it out. In the end, Hige left, grumbling.

"I'm gonna go find some more herbs," Toboe commented before leaving as well.

"Hey," Tsume began, "We've wasted a hell of a lot of time because of you. What's worse is you've decided to drag along a liability that's probably going to slow us down in the long run."

"You shouldn't talk about yourself like that, Tsume. It's bad for your self-confidence," Feray snarled.

"I wasn't talking to you, you brat," he scolded. Feray turned her head and closed her eyes, opting not to respond. "What were you two up to last night? I know you didn't get all those wounds at the station. Not like I care or anything."

"I saw them once before," Kiba breathed, but it was obvious that it took a lot out of him to speak. Still, he continued. "When I was little, I was still just a cub. In the region where I was born, they had blossomed all over. White flowers that only bloomed under a full moon. They were lunar flowers. They were all burned to ashes." His eyes were glassy, as though he were staring off into a long lost dream or memory.

"What the hell brought this up?" Tsume huffed.

"Shut up and listen," Feray reprimanded.

"A fire raged across our land, it burned all the flowers in an instant, and all, all of my friends whose escape routes were cut off were killed. I was the only one who survived. Why me? Why just me? I don't have a pack anymore. The only place for me now is Paradise." Something in his voice made the words seem more profound than just an explanation of things. Feray's gaze softened.

He stood up, and Feray just stared at him. She hadn't been expecting a random explanation of the guy's past. Well, now she sort of understood why he was such a firm believer in Paradise. He had nothing left to turn back to. Heh, maybe they were more alike than she had first expected. However, her interest was piqued when Toboe came rushing back.

"Hige's been captured! They're taking him away somewhere!" he exclaimed frantically.

"He can trick them and make 'em think they've just caught a human, can't he?" Feray scowled.

"No! The wolf you fought yesterday knocked him out."

"Why didn't you give us a warning by howling? And what are you doing here anyway? You should've followed them!" Tsume shouted.

"Let's go," Kiba said, though he barely made it out the exit. With a heavy sigh, Tsume picked up the wounded wolf and carried him on his back. Feray practically leapt up, chasing after the others.

"Put me down. I can walk." The artic wolf leaned against the wall for a moment. Toboe's eyes locked onto a sudden movement.

"Is that…" he muttered. The group followed after Cole, the woman who had brought them food the night before, until they came upon Moss and two other wolves in an alleyway. Moss was the first to notice their entrance.

"It looks like last night's beating didn't sink in," he jeered, looking from Kiba to Feray and back to Kiba. Feray bared her fangs, but her attention was quickly diverted to footsteps approaching from behind the group. Zali. Feray was beginning to really hate this guy.

"It is true what we've heard? That you sold out our friend to those humans?" Kiba growled.

"Just how low will you mongrels sink?" Tsume added.

"What's going on here?" Zali asked. Feray growled again.

"Don't play stupid, you bastard!" Her upper lip curled. She seemed to be doing that quite a lot in this town.

"Hell if I know," one of the wolves behind Moss said with a shrug.

"That guy said to kill him," said Toboe as he pointed to the wolf who had just spoken. "I heard you tell those humans to kill him!" Kiba made a move towards Moss but was stopped by Zali.

"This is my pack," he warned before stepping forward and punching Moss himself. "Why in the hell did you sell out their friends!"

"He's an outsider."

"Isn't it you who's been selling out your friends?" one of the other wolves asked. "It's the truth and you know it! You don't even do a dog's work!"

"Is that how you really feel?" Zali questioned. "I always thought, as the leader, I did what I had to do for the pack without letting my personal feeling get in the way. Everything I've done was to protect the pack." Feray's expression changed, taking on a softer appearance. Zali had done everything for his pack, huh? Her fangs were no longer bared, and the occasional growl that came from her was quieted.

"Spoken like a true alpha…" she muttered to herself.

"Yeah, well none of us see you as the leader anymore!" Moss said, punching Zali. Feray, with her new-found respect for the other wolf moved forward, just as Kiba had done.

"Stay out of this," Zali warned. The group watched in horror as the three wolves practically tore apart their old leader. Feray clenched her teeth. It was taking every ounce of self control she had not to leap in there and rip the others apart.

"Stop it!" Cole screamed. The beating slowed to a stop before the others turned to leave.

"Where are they taking Hige?" Tsume called out.

"Haven't got a clue," Moss said smugly, hitching his shoulders up in a shrug. Cole bent down next to her mate.

"If you plan to give up on Paradise and turn back, now might be the time," Zali suggested.

"I don't have anywhere to go back to. The only thing I can do is keep heading forward," Kiba replied solemnly.

"Even if it's hell we're headed towards," Tsume added. Feray looked at him, surprise written all over her face. "You people may not have been able to find Paradise, but I have no doubt in my mind that we will." Kiba also looked to be caught off guard by the elder wolf's words, though it was a good sort of surprise. Zali chuckled before standing up and beginning to run off.

"C'mon," he said, and the others chased after him.

It was along the top of the city's wall that they finally found the vehicle transporting the caged Hige. Surprised, the men veered off to the side, trying to avoid the onslaught of wolves chasing towards them. This, in turn, tipped the whole thing over and sent Hige's cage careening against the stone wall. He winced, but the pain was the least of his worries. Tsume lunged at one of the humans that stepped out of the truck, dodging as they fired at him. With Feray in hot pursuit, the two of them made quick work of the humans, disarming them and leaving them dazed with ease.

"I believe this is the most opportune time to say 'let's get out of here'," Feray chuckled, following after Kiba and the others as they left the scene. Zali led them back to the large pipe – the path to paradise. They all followed his lead. The narrow pipe that began soon widened to a much larger underground tunnel. To say the least, it reeked.

"This is as far as I plan to go. From here on out, you're all on your own," he said.

"You mean you're not coming with us? You're going to keep living here?" Kiba asked, looking surprised.

"I don't know if the place we tried to find was real or not. But I believe that there are some that can make it to Paradise and some who can't. I'm convinced of that. And it's time for you to find out for yourselves if the real Paradise does exist somewhere at the end of this road." Feray gave a light smile.

"You're not half bad," she said.

"Y'know, you don't seem like much of a wolf," Tsume said. "A wolf protects its own; it's not natural for it to look after another pack." Zali chuckled knowingly.

"You're right. I guess I really have fallen." With those final words, the gang raced down the tunnel. With another added to their group, the search for Paradise was only just beginning.


So here's the end of Chapter 1. I know that it doesn't seem like much and my updates may be sort of slow once I get to Chapter 4, but I hope that you find this interesting. If you liked it, feel free to leave a review. If you didn't like it, then let me know. However, please don't just tell me that you hated everything about it. Give me something to work with, something to improve on. I'd like to get better. Thanks in advance!