Paradise.
Does it exist?
And more importantly, how far will I have to run, or how long will I have to fight, to reach it?
Chapter I : Cold Recollections
Snow was starting to fall, softly descending from the overcast night sky above.
Quieted whimpering sounded at his back as he walked through the deserted wasteland, the wasteland that was a 'no-man's-land' zone between the homeland he'd been forced out of and the rest of the world.
The teenager glanced over his shoulder at the source of the whimpering, a frown set on his gray brow.
'Stop whimpering, will you?' He growled, his tone patient despite his irritation at having to hear her whimpering.
The black wolf pup sniffed and looked up at the teenage wolf with watery silver eyes, tear stains running down her cheeks.
'I can't help it! It's just that Mommy a-and Daddy are...!' She began to cry again.
He mentally groaned in exasperation at hearing his baby sister start crying for the hundredth time, turning to look at her, ducking his head to nudge the underside of her fuzzy chin, her crying quieting when he nudged her with his warm nose.
She looked up at him with puffy eyes, another whimper fighting its way up her throat.
'T-Tsume-nii,' she said, yelping slightly when he removed his muzzle from her chin to grasp her scruff, picking her up off the ground and lifting her on his back.
He started walking again, hearing her whimper quiet protests to him carrying her like if she were a newborn; he laughed inwardly at noting she was indeed related to him through her stubborn willpower.
'Stop crying and get some sleep, okay? Ya need it to get stronger.' He said quietly.
'... Okay. Tsume-nii?' She said.
He pricked an ear. 'What's up?'
'Is... is it really just you and me, now?' Nikki asked in a small voice.
'... Yeah. Just you and me, kid. Go to sleep now, okay? I'll wake you when we find water.' Tsume answered gently, hearing her mumble an 'OK' before there was no more words coming from the pup sleeping on his back.
Eighteen Years Later...
The sun beat down on the concrete-covered earth, the gray buildings towering around the slab of concrete.
A girl sprinted for the tree that was rooted to the "island" slab, perking up when a loud grunt sounded and a figure in black dropped on her from above.
She jumped out of the way, drawing the knife concealed in the belt loop of her jeans as she flew at her "assailant", small metallic 'klanging' ringing in her ears as her foe drew his own knife and met her challenge, his knife clashing with hers sharply.
He aimed a foot at her gut, kicking her away as he drew his knife-wielding arm back to swing the blade forward.
She ducked, narrowly missing his attack, before she swung a leg out and tripped him, sending him falling backward; his knife flew from his grip.
He landed on the concrete with a muffled curse, groaning slightly; his eyes sharpened as he extended a fist upward at the girl as she aimed her knife at his throat, both extended weapons paused short of an inch or two.
The girl panted heavily, her jet black hair cascading down her shoulders, her canine teeth flashed in a sneer; her sharp sky colored eyes pierced his bright amber eyes, narrowed slightly.
He let a smirk curl his upper lip as he drew back his extended fist, panting as well from sparring with her.
"Not bad... Baby sister." He praised coolly, knowing she hated for him to mock her.
She rolled her eyes and got off him, kicking his side with the toe of her left combat boot.
"Shut up, ya old geezer. You got your ass beat by an 18-year-old; ya should be crying your eyes out by now." She remarked sardonically.
Tsume straightened to come to at least a head and a half taller than his baby sister, smirking down at her and ruffling her straight hair.
"If I were a spineless asswipe like most of the guys around here, then yeah." He quipped.
Nikki huffed and bumped him with her right hip, folding her arms at her chest. "So you're saying you are? That's nothing new to me!" She chuckled.
He made a face, earning a giggle; he planted a hand on the top of her head, stroking her hair absently. "Your hair's gotten long." He mused.
She shooed his hand away. "And?" She wondered.
He shrugged and placed his knife back in the side of his right boot, starting to walk away.
"Ya look like less of the brat sister you are with your hair long." He replied nonchalantly over his shoulder, sticking his thumbs in his pants pockets.
She stared after her brother, pushing her bangs back before she huffed to herself and picked up her knife, returning it to the belt hook of her faded jeans before following him at a slower pace.
"Jackass." She growled quietly under her breath.
Four years later…
His feet skidded to a halt once he'd put enough distance between the barking black dog and himself.
"Geez, you act like you're running from the cops or a pack of hunters." A voice declared patiently near him, perking his ears; he turned an amber eye at the owner of the voice.
A lithe black wolf sat on an old dumpster, her silver eyes slightly teasing and slightly annoyed at the same time.
His shoulders slumped in relief and he exhaled.
"I don't see you trying to dodge the cops every time you catch a whiff of their stink." He quipped gruffly, annoyed with her words.
The black wolf chuckled and hopped off the dumpster, shifting into the form of a young woman with shoulder-length jet black hair and sky blue eyes. "That's because I learn not to follow in your tracks." She sighed.
He rolled his eyes at her 'holier-than-thou' response. "Shut up, brat." He growled.
"Don't call me that. Besides, you wouldn't be running from some house-pet if you'd have taken me with you on your gig the other day." She shot back, crossing her arms at her chest.
His amber eyes tightened. "I told you before, remember? It's too dangerous for you to go with me. You're not bullet-proof no matter how faster you are than some human's shotgun." He reminded sternly.
She scowled, blue clashing with amber. "The hell I'm not! I'm not a kid anymore, Tsume; I can protect myself and I sure as hell am faster than any dumbass who tries to use me as a target…" She began angrily.
"Hey, Tsume!" One of the men from his group barked a few blocks behind, stopping their escalating argument.
She glared up at him before he huffed and turned to stand before the rest of his "hunting party".
"What the hell's the hurry? It's not like nobody's followin' ya." A slightly stout man named Chen wondered of their fearless leader, stooping to regain his bearings.
"I know." He replied.
"We got enough food and stuff; isn't this enough for us?" A lanky man named Sedo declared rather lightly, hoisting a box on his left shoulder.
"The provisions for the nobles are going to be passing through the checkpoint for tomorrow." Tsume pointed out.
"We're gonna hit them again?" the youngest member of the group named Gehl, a pup to her eyes, asked surprisedly.
He shot him a look, making all three humans stiffen.
"Chen, Sedo you're on the advance team." He instructed.
"Why doesn't that surprise me? Hell, so long as your sister tags along, ya won't hear me complaining." Chen declared, throwing a sly look at the black wolf from behind his shades.
Her nose wrinkled in distaste and she scoffed.
"Keep it in your pants, fucker." She shot back, her right hand flying to the knife hidden behind her back as her upper lip curled.
"Knock it off." Tsume quieted her, perking her ears and earning a scowl from his sister; she sniffed and threw him the finger before walking past him further down the alley, her hands lowering to the pockets of her jeans.
"Whatever. If ya don't show up back at the hideout before dawn, I'll celebrate being an only child, Tsume-nii!" She hollered lightly, her feet
picking up the pace as she retreated back to their 'hideout'.
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