Chapter One - Snowfall: Reunion of the Chosen
'Stupify' blared loudly into the dimly lit bedroom.
A slender arm slid out from beneath the sheets to slam a fist onto the 'SNOOZE' button; the owner of the arm grumbled something inaudible into the pillow.
Sleepy sky-blue colored shards opened as they stared blearily at the bleak gray sky outside of the bedroom window, a sign that it was still early November.
No snow yet.
The thin brow knotted into a scowl at the unfavorable weather outside.
She sighed.
"I'm going to work, get your ass out of bed before I come home!" A gruff voice hollered outside of the room from the kitchen, further rousing her and ruining the vain prospect of going back to sleep.
She grimaced and clucked her tongue softly, closing her eyes briefly as she sat up some and rubbed sleep from her eyes.
"Ass." She muttered under her breath, lifting a hand to push back the black locks of her bangs from her face as her sky-colored blue gaze continued to scowl at the bed sheets.
She sighed again and reluctantly shrugged off the blankets to put her feet on the floor, a hiss escaping from between her chattering teeth at the sharp rush of cool air on her bare feet.
Refusing to let herself get chilled into going back to bed, she hopped up from the bed to stretch her arms with a loud yawn, the faint popping of the kinks in her limbs sounding like a monotonous ringing to her ears.
She rubbed the back of her neck gingerly, moving away from the bed to get fresh clothes and hop into the bathroom for a hot shower.
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Steam rose out of the bathroom's door that was opened ajar.
She ran the towel through her hair again, looking at herself in the medicine cabinet's mirror and pausing in wiping her face of water to look at her reflection.
Sky blue eyes stared at her, all evidence of sleep gone from the rare-hued orbs; her jet black hair had been cropped into a sort of winged bob, her slightly wavy bangs still framing the olive-skinned face.
A slight smile flickered across her lips.
She almost expected to see a wolf staring at her, a wolf with black fur and sharp silver eyes; a wolf with a blue crescent birthmark on the right cheek.
But all she saw was a human. A young woman in her twenties, that is.
She lowered her gaze to stare at the faded scar that marred the spot between her neck and right shoulder, the scar paler than the rest of her body's skin tone, the tissue still puckered.
She reached to rub it gingerly, her eyes saddening.
His smiling face appeared in her mind's eye, his kind blue stare happy.
She released the scarred area and looked away before she stepped out of the shower in her towel to change in her room.
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The sound of mid-morning traffic rang shrilly in her ears.
She scowled faintly at the noise, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her blue leather jacket.
She hated that noise, even after twenty-something years of having to hear it.
As much as she liked the idea of staying inside the apartment and lounging around in sweats, she felt like she had to get some air.
Her brother, even though he got on her case sometimes about her dropping out of college a couple of years prior, didn't give a damn on what she did while he was at work.
Just so long as he found her at home, that is. Prepared dinner was a vague possibility.
It's not like she was a trouble-maker in the first place; she'd learned her lesson from her previous life.
Someone bumped into her shoulder, stirring her from her thoughts.
She looked over her shoulder at a harried businesswoman power-walking her way up the sidewalk, on her way to work, she had to guess.
She rubbed her shoulder absently, continuing to walk.
She didn't know where she was walking to; she just knew she felt like walking.
Weaving in and out of the flow of pedestrian traffic, she found her path had led her to the old park on the outskirts of the business section of the city.
It wasn't frequented much during the weekdays; most of the time it was kept to itself, not receiving many visitors.
It was her kind of place.
She smiled to herself as the noises of the busy city seemed to fade away the further she moved into the park's grayish green scenery.
She found a rusted park bench and sat down, leaning back into the bench with an exhale.
Twenty years and no sign of him.
She was starting to wonder if he had even been reborn just as she and her brother had.
They were both lucky enough to have been reborn as siblings again, her brother older than her by four years whereas she was the baby.
Their parents had separated when she was seven, her mother falling ill when she was fifteen and she passed a week or two after her sixteenth birthday.
Her father was too busy with his job to take care of her, so her brother stepped in and they moved into a shabby studio apartment complex together.
But in all those years she hadn't found a hair or whiff of his presence.
She sighed a little and closed her eyes.
Was he in this city? Was he here and she didn't know it?
A soft huff escaped her as she brushed some hair from her face.
She was just kidding herself.
It's not like he'd show up from the sky or anything.
"Is that you?" Someone spoke near her, their voice carrying the sound of surprise and shock.
She opened an eye to see a pair of big silver eyes staring at her.
Those eyes looked very familiar…
Both eyes shot open as she looked up at the face of her old friend, her former packmate; the girl looked to be at least nineteen, her shaggy black hair cropped into a pixie cut. Her red highlights were as red as blood…
"Holy shit, it is! Nikki!" The girl cried as she threw herself into the older girl's arms.
She yelped slightly before the yelp turned into a laugh as she held the younger girl tightly in an embrace, relief blossoming in her chest at finally encountering someone else from their previous life.
"I didn't know you were in this city, I thought I'd never see you again." She admitted to the younger girl as they pulled away from each other.
The former she-wolf chuckled and wiped happy tears from the corners of her eyes gingerly, smiling at her friend. "I thought the same thing. Gods it's been too long since I've seen you!" She laughed to herself and sat down with her, smiling again. "I missed you." She added.
She smiled back and laughed softly. "I missed you too, Eri." She replied.
She could almost see her tail wagging; she blew strands of red hair from her face. "Your brother, did you find him yet?" She wondered almost bashfully, slightly surprising the older girl.
She smiled again and nodded. "He's my roommate. We've been living in an apartment for a few years now." She shrugged. "He misses you, even though he doesn't tell me straight up. You know how he is."
The happy tears almost threatened to flow again as she beamed. "I figured he'd be here. That tough jerk, he's too predictable." She laughed, her eyes softening at the memory. "I have an apartment here too, kind of near the business district." She explained.
She nodded, looking around at the trees absently. "You found anyone else?" She asked, her thoughts drifting to him again.
Her silver eyes caught the sad wistful look in her packmate's blue stare. She shook her head.
"No, I haven't; you're the only one I found." Her voice lowered. "I haven't seen him yet." She added.
She nodded and then sighed. "I guess it'd be best if we both went looking for him, right?" She looked at her and smiled a thin tight line. "Come on, let's get moving." She advised, straightening to her feet.
She nodded back and smiled. "Yeah, let's go." She replied, following the former she-wolf's lead away from the bench.
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It didn't really feel like they were a pack just yet.
Aside from her brother, they were missing the remaining four members of their old pack.
And even though she loved all of them like her siblings, the one she wanted to find most was the white wolf.
He was the only one in the world that made her happy and without him, her world was empty.
She scowled to herself and stuffed her fists into the pockets of her jacket again, sighing.
Maybe she needed a hobby...
The former silver wolf looked at her companion, pausing short of an intersection's 'DON'T WALK' sign that went up.
"So you still get your 'feeling' then?" She wondered.
"Not really. It only happens if there's a full moon out. Sometimes I feel like she's nearby, again, y'know? Kind of like how it was in Freeze City." She shrugged.
She raised a brow. "You felt it in Freeze City?" She laughed slightly. "Ironic, that was the reason I went to Freeze City in the first place."
She laughed with her. "Yeah, talk about ironic."
The 'WALK' sign went up; both women crossed the crosswalk first.
A blue sports car screeched as it flew around the corner and sped towards the crosswalk.
Someone shoved the two former wolves onto the safe part of the sidewalk, making them stumble slightly as the car sped on through the slightly clear intersection.
"Asshole!" The silver wolf hollered, throwing up the finger at the speeding blue car.
"Great Moon, you two are just as reckless as ever!" A familiar voice barked, making her whirl around to look at their savior; her eyes widened.
Her friend rubbed her head gingerly, grimacing and looking into a pair of glacier-colored blue eyes.
The glacier-like eyes softened as their savior stroked her cheek. "You okay?" He asked.
Her eyes were wide in shock before the sting of warm tears welled in her eyes. "Kiba," she said in relief, her voice thick with emotions she'd held for so many years that she'd never been able to express to him.
He smiled warmly, ruffling her hair. "It's been a while, huh?" He wondered.
"Kiba!" She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly as the happy tears fell down her cheeks.
He laughed softly and held her just as tightly, holding the back of her head gingerly. "I'm glad that I finally found you, Nikki." He admitted quietly, burying his cheek against her neck as she dug her nails into his back.
She laughed with him, beaming up at him through the warm tears. "All these years, I didn't know if you were alive or…" Her voice trailed off as she sniffed and looked away.
Kiba cupped her cheek in his hand, smiling softly at her. "I know, I know; I felt the same." He agreed.
Nikki laughed weakly and hugged him again, smiling back. "But you're here, and I'm glad for it. I really am." She admitted.
"Oi, as much as I'm glad you're back, Kiba, I really don't want to puke my guts out before lunch." The silver wolf pointed out patiently, her arms crossed at her chest.
He rolled his eyes at her words and helped her to her feet as he straightened, releasing her to hug the silver wolf lightly. "Good to see you too, Eri." He smirked when they pulled apart.
She huffed and smirked at him, her silver eyes light, punching his arm as if he were her older brother. "Likewise, Casanova, likewise."
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"Oi, are you listening to me?"
He looked up from smirking gently at his mate, meeting the peeved silver stare of their friend. "Yeah, I heard ya. Something about obsessing about Tsume too much." He said lightly.
She huffed and looked away, her cheeks burning red like her highlights. "Shut it, idiot. Not all of us were as flamboyant about our mates like you two." She quipped, a vein twitching on her left cheek.
She laughed and then shrugged innocently. "No idea what you're talking about, E."
She snorted and rolled her eyes, placing her hands in the pockets of her black sweater. "Riiight, and I'm Marie Antoinette."
"Your hair is just as flashy as hers was." A familiar voice said behind them, making the trio look about to see the familiar pudgy tan wolf standing there, a hotdog in hand.
He smiled his familiar light smile. "Been awhile." He said.
"Hige!" Both girls said as they hugged him tight, making the tan wolf yelp before he laughed and hugged them, smiling again.
"I see you're back to your old eating habits." The white wolf said calmly, watching the two women pull away before he shook hands with his old friend, a smile on his face.
"Yeah, I know. It's not like it's a bad way of living, y'know!" He remarked in mock defense, laughing slightly.
"A-huh. Sure it isn't." Kiba rolled his eyes.
"Hey!" Hige barked.
Both girls laughed before Eri smiled at the tan wolf. "How've ya been, Hige?" She wondered.
He rubbed his nose thoughtfully with a finger. "Not bad, in and out of work. It's kind of boring. You?" He shrugged.
"Okay."
"Content."
The tan wolf rolled his eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me that you two would say that?"
The white wolf smirked slightly at his packmates, walking ahead down the sidewalk.
"Come on, you two, unless you'd rather get hit by a car this time around." He said calmly over his shoulder.
The black wolf made a face and huffed. "Shut it, wonder boy." She quipped, bounding to walk at his side again.
The silver wolf rolled her eyes. "Typical. C'mon, Hige," she sighed, following their fearless leader, the tan wolf following.
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The sounds of the city still hurt her ears; she made a face.
He caught the expression on her face and chuckled quietly, "What's that for?"
Her cheeks reddened slightly and she huffed. "What's what for?" She returned.
He smirked softly. "The face you made just now." His glacier-colored gaze softened, "you look cute."
The blush deepened in her cheeks and she closed her eyes as she punched his arm. "You really are an idiot," she sighed.
He made a face, seeing her open an eye up at him and she giggled; he smirked again and his arm on her shoulders squeezed gently. "It's been awhile since we walked like this," he mused more to himself.
She lifted a hand to clasp his larger hand in hers, watching as he squeezed her hand. "Tell me about it; feels like it's been another two hundred years." She said the last bit quietly, lowering her gaze as the memory of waking up alone ever since she was eighteen flashed in her mind.
He squeezed her hand again and frowned. "But it's not like we're alone anymore; I found you, again, and I'm glad that I found you before either one of us went crazy without finding each other sooner." He stated, perking her ears.
She looked up at him with slightly wide eyes before those sky-blue eyes he loved softened; she nodded, a soft smile splaying across her face. "I'm glad I found you again, too." She amended.
Kiba smiled slowly, lowering his face to kiss the crown of her head, sending small electric sparks through her nerves at feeling his lips on her once again. "I missed you." He mused softly.
Nikki smiled again, feeling his arm squeeze her shoulders. "I missed you too." She replied.
"N-no way, is that really…?" A familiar voice wondered behind them, perking her ears again.
All four former wolves turned around to stare at the owner of the familiar voice; the face of the former pup stared at them with wide lantern-gold eyes filled with surprise and relief and awe all in one.
"Toboe?" Kiba spoke first, his glacier-like eyes also wide in surprise.
"Toboe!" Eri cried as she pulled the former pup into her arms, embracing him tightly, reminiscent of an older sister finding her little brother after losing him in a theme park.
"Eri! It is you!" Toboe exclaimed as he hugged the older girl just as tight and laughed.
"Toboe!" Nikki embraced the younger boy with a laugh, smiling happily at the former pup as he pulled away.
Kiba smiled amusedly as Hige greeted Toboe with a hug before he placed him in a headlock, making the younger boy wriggle and try to squirm free, laughing as he did so and yelping complaints to the former tan wolf.
"How've you been, runt?" Hige wondered lightly when he finally let him go, ignoring the pouting expression aimed towards their horseplay.
"I've been great, actually; been living with Granny. But man, I never thought I'd see you guys in this same city! Ironic, huh?" Toboe smiled at him.
"Yeah, really, ironic. Hang on, if you're living with your grandma, then why aren't you in school? It's Wednesday." Eri wondered curiously, tilting her head to the side.
He blinked before he smiled again, "my Granny homeschools me, and she ended the day early because she wanted to catch some soap show on cable." He shrugged innocently.
She sweatdropped, "sounds like something an old lady would do. Well come on, then, but I dunno where we're headed." She said with a shrug as they resumed walking.
"I thought you wanted to go bug Tsume...?" The former black wolf pointed out.
Her mate raised a brow. "Isn't he at work?" He asked with slight confusion.
She checked the clock on her phone and shrugged, "he should be home by now." She replied.
"Well, what're we waiting for? Let's go!" Eri declared, smiling lightly before she took off at a sprint further down the sidewalk.
Kiba, Hige, Nikki and Toboe sweatdropped.
"Hey, which way to the apartment!?" She barked from crossing another block, looking back at her friends.
She slapped her forehead, sighing. "Yep, still the same." She muttered.
"Come on, princess, before she has an aneurysm from waiting too long to see your brother." Kiba sighed, hooking his arm around her hips and dragging her with him as they crossed another intersection with Hige and Toboe following.
"I heard that, Kiba!" Eri hollered annoyedly.
Nikki laughed, smiling up at him, "you got it." She kissed his nose cutely and giggled, dragging him after her lead as she grabbed his hand instead and led the way at a run.
"Here we go again," Hige sighed as he followed, Toboe flanking him.
review please. thanks!