Never Too Late

by LexieWolf

Toboe's daughter lives on earth with no knowledge of Paradise. When the two meet again, will Raia be sucked into the quest for the lunar flower too? I don't own Wolf's Rain, but Raia and Asera are mine. Rated T just incase. First fanfiction ever, so please R&R. Still in-progress, but wanted to get the first chapter out.

1. First Seen

I look up and down the road, my hood up. Humans walk in assorted ways, oblivious to anyone but themselves. The wind blows my brown hair in my face. They say my father, Toboe, found paradise. This doesn't seem like paradise to me, not since my mom died anyway. It's been four years since she left me. My feet sound loud in the alleyways, grey skies blocking the sunlight. I stop at the edge of town, thinking. A familiar scent drifts towards me, a wonderful smell.

A dark brown wolf stalks behind a white fence in the dead of night. Slabs of meat hang on ropes by the little brown shed. Lights in the big house have been out for hours. The wolf eyes the meat hungrily, then looks to the woods, where small green eyes stare at her every move intensely. Slowly she slinks to the dangling meat, makes one last cautious look-around, then lunges. The meat slips easily off the rope, but bells ring out loudly in the nighttime silence. Lights flicker in the house. The she-wolf wastes no time and runs to the eyes and the cover of the forest. The door to the big house opens with a bang, and a man with a gun aims and shoots from within. The she-wolf stumbles, but keeps running, blood running down her neck.

She collapses next to the pup. The she-pup whimpers, smelling the blood of her mother. The she-wolf manages to get up and herd the pup to a field of flowers in the forest before collapsing for the last time. The pup whines, eating the meat obediently. A beautiful mid-toned howl wavers through the mist, then momentarily followed by a reddish brown wolf. The she-wolf whispers, "Toboe…" Toboe frowns, "Don't speak, Asera. Is Raia ok?" the she-pup whimpers, "Mommy, please get up." Toboe paws a lunar flower gently, "Raia, its ok my girl." Asera looks up at Toboe, "…Will she be ok on her own? She's too young…" Toboe licks her, "I'll look after her. But I need to take care of you." He howls down to the flower, and a portal opens, "Paradise is waiting for you. I'll be there soon." Toboe helps Asera get up and pushes her through the portal. The young pup tries to follow. Toboe picks her up and takes her back to the den. He smiles at the pup, "Don't be afraid, Raia. I'll be watching for you." He shows her young human form. "You'll do just fine." He disappears, leaving young Raia alone.