Chapter 1

Finding IT

The pack has been reincarnated and once again they are searching for paradise but when they find a small child abandoned to die will they decide to help it or will they leave it forgotten in the forsaken wasteland. Please R&R.

"We have been walking for days and I'm hungry." Hige wined as they walked through the freezing rain pounding down on them.

"And it's cold," Toboe added.

"Quit your whining both of you. There should be a city up ahead we can reach it by tomorrow." Tsume said. "I just wish the rain would lighten up."

"If it doesn't ease up soon we should find shelter for the night. If it gets better maybe we can make it to the city today." Kiba chimed in

"You think so?" Toboe asked excited. The thought gave them all hope and they began to walk faster.

BOOM

Lighting struck nearby forcing the ground quake under its power.

"I think we should take shelter for tonight. What do you think of over there?" Kiba pointed to a large wall of caves a natural labyrinth. The others nodded as thunder clapped and the rain began pouring harder and harder in thick sheets. They ran to the caves and they all welcomed the chance to rest shaking their fur free of excess water. Hige plopped down against the wall and decided to take a nap while Tsume and Kiba stood by the entrance watching the rain. Toboe was just about to fall asleep when he heard a faint sound echo through the dark cave.

"Did you hear that guys?" he asked

"What are you talking about?" asked Tsume.

"Hear what?" Kiba asked.

"Nothing I guess…" Toboe said wondering if it had been his imagination. He closed his eyes again but it echoed through the cave slightly louder. "There it was again did you hear it?" he asked excited but the other just shook their heads.

"Probably just the wind you should get some sleep it will be better in the morning." Hige suggested as he decided to take his own advice. Toboe wanted to believe him but he knew he heard something in the cave and decided to go see what it was.

"Ok guys um I am going to go look around." Tsume nodded approvingly and Kiba said.

"Hige go with him these caves are like a maze we should stick together, if you get lost just howl." Toboe nodded and Hige sat up.

"Why do I have to go with him?" Kiba looked at him and after a moment of silence Hige grumbled but stood up.

"Come on runt lets go find your ghost." They began running through the darkness of the caves running the cave's warped and twisted paths. "Look it was probably nothing we should head back." Hige said but just then the sound echoed down the hall much louder than before the sound almost deafening with the caves to amplify it.

"There you had to of heard it!" Toboe cried out in victory as he stared at Hige's dumb stuck face.

"What was that?"

"I don't know." Toboe responded.

"It sounded like….crying." Hige said and the two dashed down the tunnel with renewed interest.

It took a few minutes but soon the sound became constant and Hige and Toboe managed to follow it and found themselves on a high ledge at least 20 feet into the air overlooking the wasteland the rain still mercilessly pouring down.

"Well what happened where is it?" Hige asked. Toboe looked around and heard a small pained cry and then he spotted it. A small bundle of blankets he rushed to them and picked them up gently to reveal a small baby only a few months old.

"H- Hige." Toboe called stunned at his discovery.

"A BABY, What the hell is a baby doing all the way out here?" Hige took a step closer.

CRUNCH!

Hige leaped back in surprise then spotted the bones that had snapped in ½ under his feet.

"The bones of two grown adults," Hige said depressed as he looked back at the child. They heard rapid footsteps as Tsume and Kiba came into view.

"What was that? We heard it all the way down there?" Tsume asked.

"What is that doing here?" Kiba asked as he spotted Toboe holding the human baby.

"Hey careful with it," Hige said as he nudged Toboe accidently making him drop it from his mouth and the baby hit the blankets and began to cry. "Look, see what you did? This isn't a wolf pup you can't hold it by its collar."

"Well we can't exactly hold it like humans. Our human forms are just illusions." Toboe reminded him. Hige sighed knowing he was right.

"Hey look the rain stopped." Tsume noted. "We should get going."

"No wait! We can't just leave it here!" Toboe exclaimed.

"Carrying that thing with would just slow us down." Tsume defended.

"He's right; we can't care for a pup especially a human one." Kiba agreed.

"But it will die! Its freezing and its defenseless please we have to take it." Toboe pleaded.

"Sorry runt, I know what you mean I feel bad too but we can't afford any extra baggage." Hige agreed. The three began to walk away leaving Toboe and the baby.

"Please guys… we can find a home for it and drop it off in the next town with someone to watch over it where it has a chance but here it doesn't have a chance…" he trailed off and Tsume sighed.

"It's a good idea." Kiba commented.

"But we get rid of it at the next town." Tsume said. Toboe smiled and began to wrap the child in the small blankets. Her hand ran across his fur and she grabbed on holding tight. Toboe froze momentarily terrified she would pull, she did. Toboe released a low growl of pain and then stopped again. He watched as she smiled at him and began laughing and slamming her hands together as if clapping. Toboe smiled and finished wrapping her up in the pink blankets and carried her in the make shift bag.

"Is that safe for the pup?" Hige asked.

"I think it is." Toboe mumbled through clenched teeth. The pack began running across the open fields towards the next town. After a while of running the baby began to cry.

"What's wrong with it?" Kiba asked.

"I think it's hungry." Toboe growled trying to speak without dropping her.

"We can't feed it I hope you know."

"Yea I know."

Hige stared into the distance and looked back at the shrinking spot behind them that had once been the set of caves.

"What's wrong porky?" Tsume asked.

"The pup has to have been there a while if its parents were bone so how did it survive this long with no food or someone taking care of it?" they all exchanged glances and Kiba finally broke the silence by saying.

"That's a good question." another moment of silence the only sound was the baby's ferocious crying.

"Please make it stop I have had all I can take." Tsume said angrily.

"Sorry Tsume but we have to endure it." Toboe apologized

"Shut it up."

"Sorry Tsume I know it's annoying but kids cry we can dump her on some family later we should be able to reach the city before nightfall." Kiba said. Tsume sighed and they kept running. Somewhere along the way the crying stopped and Toboe informed them IT had fallen asleep.

"Hey where do you think you are going?" a mysterious voice asked. The pack slowed to a stop and looked at the baby. They crowded around the child and stared at its sleeping form for a second. It just lied there in its ragged and torn pink clothes.

"Did it just talk?" Hige asked. "Oh man I must be hungrier than I thought I am hearing things guys."

"Guys I think it's a super baby." Toboe said

"No you fools I am over here." the voice said again and they all looked around to see a small pack of four black and grey wolves watching them.

"What do you want?" Kiba asked as he stepped out to meet them.

"Where do you think you are going with our lunch?"

"What do you mean your lunch?" Hige asked more than a bit disgusted thinking of the wolves eating the baby alive he shivered and was engulfed in rage.

"We found that small family up in our territory and all things exist to be eaten it's the common fact of life. Toboe remembered the bones on the floor and his grip on the bag tightened and he gently put the child down on the ground as he and the pack stood around it protectively.

"We kept it alive for a while saving it for a later day, the father was a small meal and the mother got away so I believe that baby is ours." the alpha wolf responded cruelly taking a fighting stance. "And today is that day."

"It's a child. Would you really sink so low as to attack helpless pray that can't even run?"

"Do you hesitate to attack an injured doe grazing alone in the forest?" it responded. Kiba growled baring his teeth.

"Go find some other food." The other wolf growled back and tensed to fight and in a flash he sent himself hurtling at Kiba and Kiba was flying at him both of them collided and fell to the ground biting and clawing. The other three wolves ran at Tsume, Toboe and Hige eager to grab the child. All of the wolves collided and battled for the child's safety. Growls, whines and howls filled the air until finally the strange pack was gasping and bleeding. Kiba and the others were bleeding but their injuries were minor, while the other pack risked death if they continued fighting.

"You've won this round." The alpha replied and he turned and ran the other three following close behind. The pack rested a moment catching their breath before Toboe lifted the baby again.

"Is the pup alright?" Tsume asked. "They got to close to it a few times."

"Yea she is fine but she woke up."

"I am surprised it didn't start crying at the sight of us." Hige said.

"It's still just a child, probably doesn't understand how dangerous we are. That it should be afraid or even what we are." They all continued walking and burst into a run as the dome came into view. Toboe looked at the town then back at the little girl.

"We are going to find you a nice home." he told it and she smiled at him and tried to clap her hands again. Toboe grinned but she reached up to touch his fur. At first he pulled out of her reach before lowering himself to her and let her gently run her hand through it. She smiled and laughed again making Toboe smile at her innocence.

"Why can't all humans be that innocent?" Tsume asked.

"Because other humans know how to use guns," Hige said sourly. Toboe looked at her again ignoring the other.

"It won't be that hard to find you a home, you seem to be a good girl." He looked back at the town and froze a strange dark cloud surrounded the dome while the people inside seemed to walk around oblivious to it.

"Um, guys." Toboe started.

"I got a bad feeling about this." Tsume said as they approached the city with a feeling of dread.