Disclaimer: I do not own Wolf's Rain, property of BONES.
Prologue
The only path to Paradise is through a wolf's eyes. And throughout the years, no wolf has been able to find it alive.
Except one…
-X-
Rumored to be Heaven on Earth, Paradise was the peak of perfection, the Rakuen for all wolves alike. A population of one unfortunate feral canine soul. The search for Paradise was long and enduring, but this young pup was there, and it was nothing like she imagined.
Her journey was an accident from the start; she was a lucky one, but at the same time unlucky. Though her dreams were familiar to a common wolf's, she didn't intend to go the Rakuen, especially not after her violent misfortune. But when she woke up, she felt as pristine as the day she was born. What was this miraculous, peculiar place?
The moment she opened her icy blue eyes, she was immediately alarmed. The sky was blue. A clear sky blue. No sign of fog or smoke or any form of poisonous breathing air. Her lungs were clear. As she rose from the sleek grass, her nose sniffed the foreign land. The only scent in the atmosphere was the fragrance of flowers. But not just any kind of flowers.
The heavenly scent assaulted young wolf's nose from all sides as she found herself in a field of beautiful, white, opalescent flowers. They had a glamorous aura, making the field shine with a living essence. Thinking human thoughts, she turned into her human form and picked the closest one up from the ground, considering whether this illusionary euphoria was real or not. Her flower continued to glow even after it was plucked. She took a curt whiff, then quickly redrew. The scent was very sensitive and familiar to her canine senses.
From her memory as a pup, there were rumors of these bountiful, lustrous flowers, which led the wolves to the latent path of Paradise, but she could not recall the name of these carnations. Her mind was still hazy; the accident must've had affected her memory. The luminescent glow reminded her of the moon—the lasting shimmer, dazzling. "Lunar flowers," she told herself when she finally remembered. This was the scent the wolves subconsciously followed in order to get to Paradise. However, there were similar scents that only led them in circles. Some wolves were known to even have searched the entire world, but they died before they could reach their goal.
She was not one of those wolves, for she was able to achieve the impossible.
This infinite landscape of rich flowage was Paradise. This was the place they had been looking for their whole lives. The place of wonder she finally discovered. The dream she finally fulfilled.
"Paradise…" she finally spoke. "I found it."
When the realization sunk in, she turned back to her original form and ran through the beaming carnations, spiraling incessantly until fatigue washed over her. Her dream finally came true. For years, she had dreamt of this moment. Triumph permeated through her, giving her more than a sense of accomplishment. Yet, she still felt unsatisfactory. An empty feeling was still inside of her, a part that her triumph could not fill.
It was then when she realized she was alone.
She quickly sat up again, looking around her new environment. She sniffed the air again to try and trace other scents, but she could only smell the lunar flowers. She was alone. Completely, utterly alone. There was no other source of life in this Paradise. That was not what she wanted. This was not the Paradise she was looking for.
In melancholy, Tsuki put a hand to her chest, grasping the locket around her neck, a painful reminder of the life she unintentionally left behind. Her ultimate goal was to get to Paradise with her brother, but her only family was not with her. Yet, she was here, surrounded in luxury and no one to show it with. How could she enjoy this without him? It didn't feel right to her. This was no Paradise after all. "Big brother," she cried. "Big brother!" She howled, transforming back into a wolf. Her heartrending wails echoed throughout the field and beyond.
She laid the head on her paws, moping and hoping halfheartedly that her brother would respond to her distressed calls.
Then she heard footsteps. She sat up again. The footsteps were slow and shoddy and sounded like they were walking in water. She couldn't see the water, but her exquisite hearing allowed her to hear where the sound was coming from. Her instincts immediately kicked in, compelling her to follow the sound. It was not long before she came across a lake and the owner of the mysterious footsteps.
It was a young girl. She wore a white full-body leotard, which glistened with her pale skin as she danced around in the lake. Her hair was a soft lilac and her eyes were a hot pink. The glow around her was as radiant as the lunar flowers. The wolf pup had never seen anyone so pure.
The albino girl suddenly stopped her little dance and turned towards her. The way she stared at her was unusual. It was as if she was looking through her. The girl started walking towards her, making the young wolf tense. The closer she came, the stronger the scent of flowers grew. Since she was a stranger, the she-wolf didn't know whether it was right to trust her or not. Her instincts told her she was trustworthy, but that was yet to be seen.
When the girl was within reaching distance, she held out her hand as if to greet the young wolf. Seeing her reluctance, the girl knelt in front of her and began to pet her coat. It actually felt… nice. No one had ever pet her coat before, but she never imagined it'd make her feel so warm and safe. New emotions welled up inside of her, things she only felt whenever she was around her brother. What was this girl doing to her?
The girl retreated her hand shortly afterward, and the young wolf suddenly missed the feeling. "This one is no longer alone," the strange girl finally said. "This one has a friend. What is your name?"
The hoary pup tilted her head in bewilderment. This girl didn't seem human at all. The way she spoke was unusual and she didn't seem to fear the wolf at all. The feelings that overwhelmed her a moment ago were suddenly coming back to her. Her stiff muscles were no longer tense, but relaxed. This girl was strange, but she didn't give her any reason not to trust her. "… Tsuki," she finally answered.
"This one's name is Cheza." The girl named Cheza reached out to touch her again. This time, Tsuki nuzzled into her hand, allowing Cheza's soft touch along with her flowery scent to soothe her, lulling her into a deep sleep. Sensing her drowsiness, the Flower Maiden allowed the young wolf to lay her head in her lap.
As the girl continued to stroke her velvety coat, the empty feeling inside Tsuki slowly filled up and her melancholy gradually faded away.
