DISCLAIMER:I DON'T OWN WOLF'S RAIN! IF I DID, I WOULDN'T BE WRITING THIS...

We all know that Kiba's pack was massacred... What we don't know is that there were survivors.

BEGIN

I shook my curly hair out of my eyes for the six-millionth time and tried to ignore my siblings loud voices. "You guys, shut UP! I'm trying to get us some food!"

"Sorry, Shichi." Kalyn moaned. "It's just that we're so hungry."

"Yeah. We haven't eaten in days." Batafurai sighed.

I shook my head and eye-balled her. "Well, if SOMEONE hadn't changed in front of those kids we wouldn't have been run out of town. Then we would still be at the bording house with plenty of food."

"I'm telling you, Shichi! It wasn't my fault!"

"Yeah, yeah. You claim you lost control. I don't buy it, Bata. You're the same age as I am and I haven't lost control since I was a pup. Neither have you for that matter." I growled.

"I'm TELLING you! My ears started ringing and they hurt so bad I felt like I was going to die. Next thing I know, I'm in wolf-mode. Something MADE me lose control."

"Oh, what EVER. Just shut up, already. If you're so damn hungry, go find a rabbit. And watch Ami! I'll be back in a few hours." With that, I stood and changed to my wolf-form. Accompanied by my betas, the beautiful Mizu and blind Hinote, I ran away from the camp and into the heavily wooded forest. After an hour or so, we came across a deer trail and followed it to a small clearing where the three of us took down an old buck, which we tore apart and dragged back to camp after eating our fill.

Hinote froze, ears up and nose to the wind, as we entered our clearing. "Intruders." He growled in his quiet, husky tone. "Four males. A female. And..." He sniffed. "Flowers?" Hinote shivered. "I smell lunar flowers. And something familiar."

"What do you mean?" Mizu licked his muzzle. "There aren't any lunar flowers in the clearing."

"I know." Hinote whimpered and crouched low to the ground.

The sound of Kalyn yelping reached my ears and I charged forward with no hesitation. He lay on the ground beside Ami, with Bata standing over him. A group of five wolves circled them, one pure white wolf stood slightly closer than the rest, and a young girl with pale rose-colored hair stood beyond the pack. With a powerful thrust of my hind legs, I sailed over the wolves and crouched low before the white pack leader, a vicious snarl echoing from deep within my chest. "Back off!" I barked angrily. The wolf's eyes widened and he did as I ordered, though not intentionally I'm sure. He seemed surprised and, after a moment or two, he shook his head.

He backed away further and sniffed the air hesitantly before changing into his human form. I watched as the other four followed his lead and then I did as well. "Who are you?" He asked quietly, looking deep into my golden eyes.

"My name is Shichiyouga." I glared at him as Mizu and Hinote helped Kalyn up behind me. "This is my pack and you are intruding. What do you want?"

His eyes began to shine wetly and he laughed. "This can't ba happening." He moved forward and looked straight into my eyes. "Shichi... It's me. It's Kiba."

I gasped and stepped away in shock. "Ki- Kiba?" I looked over him to be sure. "Big brother?"

HIGE

"What. The. Hell?" My jaw dropped as I stared at the girl and her pack. She really DID look like Kiba. Same black hair, same golden eyes. Standing behind her was another girl who had to be a relative. And beside her was a boy, the boy we'd injured. He, too, looked very much like our dear alpha male, If only in his bone-structure and the fact that he was a white wolf. Every member of the other pack, except for a confused-looking girl with violet eyes and a boy with two-toned hair, stared at Kiba in diesbelief. The boy stared straight ahead, as though not seeing, with tears streaming down his emotionless face. The violet-eyed girl couldn't be any older than Toboe and the other was just plain... creepy. His eyes were solid black, even the white's...err... what was SUPPOSED to be the white's... were black.

"Hige, guys. These are my sisters." Kiba muttered. "Shichiyouga and Batafurai. Beside Bata is my little brother. Kalyn."

"I thought all of your packmates had been killed." Toboe's innocent eyes were wide.

Kiba's voice shook and he nodded. "So did I."

For the next four hours, Kiba and his siblings swapped stories. Apparently, Batafurai, Shichiyouga, Kalyn, and the violet-eyed girl, Ami, had escaped badly injured. An old woman took them in and tended their wounds, thinking they were dogs. Ami was only a pup when it happened so she didn't remember any life but what she had with the others now. As for Mizu and Hinote, they had both been captured and experimented on. Hinote was now blind, though he was gifted with another kind of sight as well as advanced senses. Mizu, on the other hand, had six pups she would never see, a pronounced limp, and a high intolerance to sunlight in her human form.

"So, that's how we've been living." Shichiyouga concluded. "Running from town to town, hiding Hinote and Mizu from sight. Trying to earn money for food and clothing. As well as for a place to stay."

Kiba sighed. "You've been through so much. You're too young to have to live like this."

Shichi smiled sadly at her brother. "So are you, Kiba. Even the old ones are."

"Were there any other survivors?" The dark-haired wolf asked.

"Only two." Batafurai answered. "Grandmama and a pup named Saya. But Grandmama was shot trying to save us and Saya died last winter. We didn't have enough food for all of us so she left. We found her two days later, frozen dead in the snow. She was too mature and giving. Especially for someone her age."

"How old was she?" Blue asked pityingly.

"She wasn't even nine yet!" Ami growled her answer. "She was my little sister. Born new when the pack was killed by those filthy humans."

"Ami!" Shichi scolded. "You know as well as the rest of us that not ALL humans are like that!"

"But the majority of them ARE!" She argued. "So much so that we have every right to be angered with their species! They kill us because they are afraid. But they have no reason. If they can be so biased against our kind, then so can we against theirs!"

Toboe shook his head. "No." He whispered. "I was raised by a human who knew what I was. She didn't care. She treated me like her own child. Never caring that I was a different creature altogether."

"You were lucky then." Kalyn sighed. "When our human realized we weren't dogs, she shot Shichi and nearly ran Bata over with a truck. That is the only memory Ami has of humans. Because even then, she was too little to know kindness for what it was."

"This one thinks that humans and wolves will learn to cooperate one day." Cheza whispered. "This one thinks that both beings need only to get passed their fear of the other. This one only wishes that it would happen soon."

Kiba touched her arm and smiled warmly. "Don't worry, Cheza. I'm sure right. One day, everyone will be happy. Hopefully one day soon. After all, that's what paradise is for. Happiness and cooperation."

"So you actually believe the stories?" Mizu laughed. "You're nuts, fox-face."

Kiba rolled his eyes at the old nickname. "I haven't looked like that for over 8 years."

"Yeah. But the name still suits you!" The 27-year-old she-wolf laughed. "You'll always be our little fox-face."

Hinote

Though I could not see the smiles upon my friends faces, I knew that they were happy. I could hear their laughter in their voices and smell their joy in the air. Their relief could even be tasted on the wind. As we sat in a circle around the warmth of the fire, I could feel pleasure radiating through my blood. I lay in my wolf form beside the one who would bring us to paradise. The flower maiden stroked my ears and crooned lovingly to my friends, old and new alike. I heard Mizu's bell-like laughter near me and fought back a whine. I could not see her, but her scent was enough. Add her voice to it and I felt like I was being driven mad. I loved her. I always had. Though she was not likely to want a wolf who could not see.

"This one wishes to know what is wrong." The flower maiden, Cheza, whispered in my ear. "This one feels your distress and wishes to ease your pain."

I shook my head. "It's alright." I whispered back. "I am merely an old wolf in love."

I could feel Cheza's joy transferring through her fingers to my flesh. "Love is a wonderful thing. This one feels love as well. This one feels sad though when this one cannot be near the one this one loves."

"That's my problem too, Cheza." I sighed. "Only, the one I love does not know that I am in love at all, least of all with her."

"It is the same with this one and her beloved. This one cannot be with the one she loves at all. This one is... different from the one she loves."

"You love the pack leader?" I asked. "My old friend, Kiba?"

Cheza sighed. "Is it so clear to you, friend?"

"Only to me. I was given special abilities in the lab. I can sense one's feelings as well as towards whom these feelings are felt. There are many times that I can see danger before it happens as well. Sometimes, I even see paradise, though I cannot ever lay eyes upon it."

"Your eyes do not work?"

"No. When the humans experimented on me, they ruined my eyes. I cannot see. Nor will I ever again."

"This one wishes she could help you." The air tasted of salt-less tears. "This one wishes she could heal your eyes of this defect."

"Perhaps you can." I muttered. "I have heard stories which say that a flower maided has special healing powers. Perhaps if you wish it enough, you will be able to heal my eyes. Though I am not certain of it. Would you try?"

I felt the flower maiden's fingers drift from my ears to my eyelids. A warm sensation rippled through my nerves and my eyes began to sting. After another few seconds, the pain was gone. I opened my eyes to find that I could see the blurred images of my sleeping companions. I could make out vague shapes and sharp, clear colors. My eyesight was absolutely dreadful, but I could SEE. After nearly five long years. I could SEE.

Mizu

I woke to find Hinote standing over me, looking quite pleased with himself. "What is it?" I asked, yawning widely.

"Your fur is blue." Hinote whispered in awe. "It's actually blue. And mine is gold. And Kalyn's is white."

"Of course it's blue, Hino. It's been blue since the lab."

"It's BLUE. Mizu. I can see it." He laughed and barked, jumping around like a puppy. "I can SEE it, Mizu! You're fur is blue!"

"What?!" I jump to my feet. "How could you possibly? Your eyesight was lost when-"

"When they tried to implant the heat sensors in them. The hear sensors took but my eyesight was lost." He barked again, like some humans lap dog. "The flower maiden did it. I can't see definite forms. But I can see colors. She tried to heal me. At first it hurt but then... I can SEE!" He rolled over and over in happiness and I pounced on him, laughing. "I can see! I can see!"

Our laughter and shouting woke the others and Shichi came running over. "What's going on?" She asked. "What's got the two of you so excited?"

"You're fur is mottled." Hinote laughed. "It's red and brown and black. There's a white patch on your left ear and your right front paw and the end of your tail. There's a little on your muzzle too."

"So? What's that got to-" She froze. "That's stuff only showed up last year. How did you..." She blinked and stared at his eyes. "Can- can you SEE me?"

Hinote barked and pounced on her like the puppy he hadn't been for the past eight years. "Cheza fixed my eyes! Neither of us knows how she did only that she did! Shichi, I can see. Don't you get it? We thought I'd never be able to see again. But now I can. So, maybe paradise IS real, too."

Shichi sat down hard and swallowed. "This isn't possible. The retinal scarring was beyond repair. Your eyes changed completely. They're still different. I don't understand this at all. Can you REALLY see? This isn't some twisted joke?"

Hinote grinned and looked at a flower on the ground. "This flower is blue. On either side of it is a yellow one. Between your paws is a red one. The moon is only a crescent. My vision is blurry but it's getting better all the time. I think what Cheza did was fry the sensor. Once it was no longer active, my eyes were able to begin repairing themselves. Even now I can see a little more clearly than a moment ago."

I licked Hinote's muzzle. "Isn't this great, Shichi? Do you think Cheza could heal my skin?"

Shichi blinked. "I- I don't know. If she could do this then it is highly possible. But there's no way to be sure."

I spun around and looked right at Cheza. "Do you think you could, Cheza? Could you fix my human skin so I can walk in the sun again?"

Cheza smiled and held out a hand. "This one is not yet certain of her own abilities. But this one is certainly willing to try."

Shichiyouga

I sat between my brothers with Batafurai laying in front of me. We watched as Cheza ran her hands over Mizu's human form, humming quietly as she attempted to heal her. Mizu shuddered as Cheza pulled away. "Well?" I asked. "Did it work?"

"I- I don't know." Mizu looked at her hands. "I don't feel much different, but I think something HAS changed. I'm just not sure what."

"Sunrise is in an hour or two." Kiba commented. "I guess we'll find out then."

"Yes. I suppose we will." Mizu nodded and went wolf. Laying down, she snatched at one of the deer bones from the night before and began gnawing at it.

I stood up and turned wolf. "I'll be back before sunrise." I told everyone. "Kalyn, Bata. You two come with me. Kiba, who's your best hunter?"

"Either Hige or Tsume. Tsume is faster but Hige's got the better nose. Are you going for food?"

"Yes. All this excitement has my stomach growling. Hige, fall in."

The large wolf moved to the end of our formation and we started off. Thanks to Hige's nose it only took us half and hour to find a particularly juicy goose, one small sick old doe, and a pair of rabbits. We ate the rabbits and dragged the rest back to camp for the others to enjoy. We got there just as the sun rose and saw Mizu's skin rippled from wolf to woman for a moment before steadying. After nearly ten minutes we all relaxed and she laughed. "It feels so warm." She giggled. "I'd forgotten how warm sunlight was. It's just like being covered in fur."

We all grinned and hugged her, thanking Cheza enthusiastically before falling to our meal. I made sure Mizu and Hinote got the goose. I also made sure Kiba and Ami ate first from the doe. After they'd had their fill, Ami pounced on me happily. It was the first time in months that any of us had had a full stomach twice in one week. "Thank you SO much!" Ami yipped. "I don't know what for but thank you!"

I laughed a rolled her off of me. "You're so silly. Go play with Toboe, you goofy pup!" I watched as she stalked up to him, stiff legged, before jumping straight up in the air and landing on his back, making him yelp in surprise. My pack gathered close to me, whining in pleasure and submission, licking at my muzzle.

Kiba

I watched as my sister was wolf-kissed by each of our siblings as well as by the older two of her pack. Ami had already done so and was now playing happily with Toboe like the pup she was. I stood and joined in on the action around my sister. Licking her muzzle and nuzzling her throat. She returned the gesture and I lay down beside her. "Will we travel together now?" Ami and Toboe chorused together.

"Like one big happy family?" Kalyn grinned.

"After all," Bata added, "It's only the natural order."

Shichi smiled and shoved at Bata with her head. "Of course we will. If it's what Kiba wants anyway. Which I think it is."

I nodded. "We've all been separate for far too long. It's time we showed the world how effective a family can be in getting what it wants."

END

A/N:WAY TOO SHORT, I KNOW. BUT IF ANY OF YOU OUT THERE WANT ME TO CONTINUE WITH THIS FIC, I'LL NEED SOME REVIEWS. I CAN'T THINK OF WHERE I MIGHT TAKE THE STORY SO I'LL NEED A BUCKET-LOAD OF SUGGESTIONS. LATERZ!!!