The Dark Road

A Wolf's Rain fanfiction by Souleaterxxx

Disclaimer: Even though I'm a huge fan, I do not own any of the characters.

It's history repeating itself and our favorite wolves remember everything, but what happens when they run into one of Tsume's former pack members? Be prepared for a whole bucket load of chaos, heartbreak, romance, action, pain, and destruction.

Prologue

The man on his motorcycle was no ordinary human. His name was Tsume, and he was a wolf. Though this was not known by everyone, on occasion he would get spotted. Then he would have to watch out and lie low for a while, then come back out of hiding. For wolves were thought to be extinct.

Chapter 1

Tsume POV

One day Tsume was riding his motorcycle on the main road, when he came across a new scent. A wolf scent.

"Heh, a newbie. Good luck to whoever he is." He said to himself. The poor idiot would probably get caught on his first day.

When he cleared the traffic he sped up, allowing the gust of wind to blow his troubling thoughts away. He suddenly realized that he was being followed. In his rearview mirror he could see a boy running toward him, and boy was he shocked. Tsume stopped in the middle of the road.

"What do you want, kid?" He asked, annoyed.

"Do you smell that new scent? A wolf." The boy, well, pup, said.

"Yeah, and if you had any common sense, you would leave it alone, pup." He smirked.

"My name is Toboe, not 'pup'."

"Yeah, well. Nice talking to you, Toboe." He revved up the engine. But Toboe stepped in front of him. "Outta my way, kid."

"What's your name?" Toboe asked.

"Tsume, okay. I told you my name, now beat it!" He revved the engine again and Toboe got out of the way. "What's with that damn kid. If he doesn't look out, he's gonna get himself killed, again." He said as he flew away. He would never forget what happened back then.

Chapter 2

Toboe POV

Toboe walked through the streets as the sun went down, his head bent down in disappointment. He knew it would be difficult to get an actual conversation out of Tsume, but he didn't think that it would be this hard. He saw Kiba walking toward him.

"Did he talk to you?" Kiba asked.

"Only a little, I asked him if he realized you were here, he said yes. I told him my name, and asked for his. It's Tsume, alright. I remember. He hasn't changed at all. If he does remember, he didn't let it show. Kiba, what're we gonna do?" Toboe asked.

"I don't know. We have to find Hige and Blue. I'll look for Hige, you need to keep talking to Tsume, okay?" Kiba said. Toboe nodded eagerly. He would get to talk with one of his long-lost best friends. Because that's what they were.

He followed Tsume's scent through town and it stopped at an abandoned workshop. In one of the front windows sat Tsume.

"Hey! Tsume! Let me in." Toboe said.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone. Toboe." Tsume said.

"I need to talk to you, it's important." Toboe said. He was going to ask him flat out. Please tell me you remember. He thought to himself.

"Ugh, fine, jump in."

"I need to know...do you remember? Tsume? 'Cause I have always remembered, so has Kiba." Toboe said in earnest. It took a while for Tsume to answer. He looked like he was arguing with himself.

"...Toboe. Okay, fine. I remember, everything. And you said Kiba was here? How?" Tsume finally said, exasperated.

"Yeah, Tsume! Kiba found the new flower maiden in this very city. Her name is Armani." Toboe said. "Tsume, I knew you could remember. Let's go. Kiba's looking for Hige and Blue right now."

"Alright, calm down. I'm coming." Tsume laughed for what felt like the first time in a long time. Toboe laughed along with him. "...Toboe...I, er, I missed you." He said, to Toboe's shock. Tsume wasn't the type to actually show how he felt.

"Let's go."

Chapter 3

Kiba POV

Kiba walked into the pub and immediately saw Blue standing behind the counter.

"Um, do have any water?" He asked, trying to keep pretenses. Blue understood right away.

"Yep, coming right up. Follow me." Blue said. Kiba did so. "What are you doing here? Are you out of your mind?" She whispered.

"Maybe. Blue, I take it you remember?" Kiba asked. Blue nodded. "Where's Hige?"

"I have no idea. Pops kicked him out last night. Where are the others?"

"Toboe went looking for Tsume. I hid Armani, she's the new flower maiden."

"Kiba, don't tell me you're still trying to find Paradise? What if we fail, again?" Blue whimpered.

"I'm not giving up, neither is Toboe. Armani is, in a way, the reincarnation of Cheza, and she promised that she wouldn't fail us again." Kiba whispered.

"Fine. Let's go. They're probably waiting for us." Blue said.

She rushed upstairs, changed her clothes and they both ran out the door. When they got to the meeting place, Toboe, Tsume, and, to Blue's surprise, Hige were waiting.

"...How?" She said.

"I had a lot of time on my hands. So I came to see what was going on. It's good to see ya again, Kiba." Hige said with a grin. They all laughed. But then, the unthinkable happened.

A pair of headlights flashed onto them all.

"Look out!" Tsume shouted. He grabbed Toboe and Blue and pressed them against the wall, using himself as a shield. The car flew past them, missing Tsume's back by inches. Kiba and Hige were being pursued by the drivers. The car suddenly stopped and out came two strangers.

"Them nobles, I hear, will pay a pretty price for wolves." One of the men said.

"Yeah, why don't you say we take these ones?" The other said.

"Good idea. Let's get 'em!"

"Run!" Kiba shouted. They all ran toward the city wall, closely followed by the bounty hunters. They jumped over the wall, then stopped.

"Armani, it's okay, you can come out now." Kiba said. From behind a rusty old tractor came the flower maiden.

"This one is glad that you will give this one another chance." She said.

They all ran to the forest. When they stopped, the sun was just beginning to set. The full moon was coming out. But something was off. They all sensed another wolf nearby.

"Who's there? It's alright, we won't hurt you, come on out." Toboe said gently.

Out came a small, brown wolf with a scar that went along the wolf's right arm. It was a girl.

"Why do you hide your true selves? It's not right." The wolf, now in human form, said.

"To survive. What's your name?" Toboe asked.

"Tsari. Where are you going? Why did you leave the city?" Tsari asked.

"To find Paradise." Kiba said.

"You gotta be kidding me? Paradise?" Tsari said scornfully.

"I know what you're thinking. I was just like you at first, but now I know for a fact that Paradise exists." Tsume said.

"Wait, this one sees the moon coming up. The full moon." Armani said.

The pale white moon shined down on them.

"Okay, I know I've said this before, but I feel like howling my head off! This is incredible!" Tsume exclaimed.

"Then do it. Howl, loud and proud. It'll prove to me that you people are not scared." Tsari said.

They all tilted their heads back and let loose. They howled so hard that even after they'd stopped, the echoes continued for five minutes.

When it did stop, Armani began singing her lullaby.

"Shailo, shailo, yo tri te ka. Shailo wa kite to ri e."

"Here...we go...again." Toboe mumbled, feeling sleepy again.

All of the wolves fell asleep almost instantly.

Chapter 4

Tsari POV

The next morning, Tsari woke up and looked at Tsume, who was still sound asleep.

"He really doesn't remember me… figures." She said to herself. Suddenly, the memory of that night flashed through her mind and she cringed in pain.

"This one knows that he remembers, but he doesn't want to. This one knows of the connection you share with him." Armani whispered as she reached over and petted Tsari's fur. Tsari whined.

"Uh...guys, I think you might want to take a look at this." Hige said, staring at a specific place in the fields below them. The others looked toward where he was looking and what they saw made them all gasp. Especially Tsari.

"I-I recognize this place. This is where my pack used to live." She said.

"Thats impossible. This is where my pack used to live too. Th-that means…" Tsume stuttered.

"Yes, we are from the same pack, Tsume. We are the only ones left. I remember everything." Tsari said knowingly.

"H-how? Everyone, except for me, was killed by the soldiers. You couldn't have survived."

"I kept running away, and as difficult as it may be to believe, I found my way to the entrance to Paradise. But some other wolves were already there. They were fighting another wolf. I saw everything. I saw you all fighting. I saw Blue, Hige, Kiba and Tsume all…die. I followed Kiba into the mountain, but I found the other wolf. When he saw me...he killed me immediately." Tsari explained. The others were shocked.

"...But...but how? Why? Why did you go, all alone? I-I could've helped you. You wouldn't have had to die." Tsume stuttered. The others had never seen him so…emotional.

Tsari's eyes started to fill with tears. She rubbed them away quickly. Then a hand was placed onto her shoulder. She turned to look at Armani, who was smiling warmly right back at her.

"I'm okay, alright. I don't need any pity from anyone." Tsari said, suddenly angry. She stepped away from Armani and kept walking until she was at least far enough away so that no one would bother her.

"Sort of reminds you of someone, doesn't she? Tsume?" Hige said jokingly.

"Shut up." Tsume mumbled.

"It's incredible, though. She survived, and didn't even need a flower maiden. That has got to be one sharp nose if it took her to Paradise." Blue said in awe.

"Plus, she's got guts. Running to Paradise by herself. She must have gotten into the worst sort of trouble." Toboe added, grinning.

"She only a few years older than you, runt. I have to admit, I'm surprised she made it here in the first place." Tsume grunted.

Tsari suddenly ran up to him and growled menacingly. "If you think that a few minor jokes are gonna make me change my mind about what happened back then, you got another thing coming. I mean, what the hell are you thinking, Tsume? Do you have any idea how Taki would react if she saw you now? Have you no shame?" She shouted.

"...I thought I told you to never bring Taki up ever again, damn it!" Tsume shouted back. He was hurt that she brought Taki up.

"Who's Taki?" Toboe said.

"She was...my little sister. She was killed by the soldiers a long time ago." Tsume mumbled. "Tsari, why are you so angry? You told me that you didn't think it was my fault."

"No, Tsume. I'm not angry at you. I'm angry at myself. I wanted so badly to protect you, and after I was caught, I never got the chance. I spent half of my life, trying to run away from my past, our past, because I was such a coward." Tsari whimpered, she was openly crying now. Tears streaked down her face like little rivers.

Then, Tsume did the unthinkable, for him anyway. He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into his chest.

"It's okay. The important thing is that you're okay, right?" He muttered. Everyone else was staring at him, shocked.

"I guess. But what about you? Tsume, are you okay?" Tsari asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Well, if you still want to be okay, then I suggest we RUN! They found us." Hige shouted.

A noble's ship was flying right above them, practically on top of them.

"Tsari, run!" Tsume shouted. They all ran into the cover of the forest, and didn't stop until they were a very safe distance away from the ship. A good...safe...distance.

"They're very pissed off about something. I don't think they wanted us to leave the way we did." Hige gasped out.

"No, they're looking for Armani. Remember how easy it was for them to find us last time? She has some sort tracking signal on her." Kiba said.

"Good God, you must have gone through hell trying to go to Paradise with humans riding up your asses the whole time." Tsari said jokingly.

"Well, not all of them were bad. We ran into Pops and -" Hige suddenly stopped. He looked at Blue worriedly.

"It's okay, Hige. It happened a long time ago." Blue whispered soothingly.

"Who's Pops?" Tsari asked. I need to see if this man was good to them. She thought to herself.

"He was my owner. Since I'm only half-wolf, neither me nor Pops knew that I was a wolf. He had an obsession over wolves. He had thought that wolves had killed our family. But really it was the nobles. He was killed himself by one of them." Blue explained. She was holding in the tears that were threatening to overpower her. Hige went over to her and gently squeezed her around the shoulders. She put her head on his shoulder.

"Let's keep moving, there's no going back from here on out. Kiba, you take the lead." Toboe said eagerly.

"Can I ask you all something, why me? Who voted me the leader?" Kiba asked. What he saw next shocked him. Everybody, within five seconds of him asking, shot their hands into the air, even Tsume, and Tsari.

"Well, there's your answer." Hige said.

They all laughed and headed toward...the last thing that they had expected.

Chapter 5

Tsume POV

"Okay, this isn't so bad. I could get used to traveling in a group again." Tsari said.

It had been a week since she had joined the group, and they had made slow but sure progress in the search for Paradise.

Suddenly someone's stomach rumbled loudly. They all looked at Hige.

"Wasn't me, it was Tsume." He grinned. Tsume glared at him.

"So, what are you gonna do about it?" He muttered.

"Nuttin'. We're all hungry here, so let's get something to eat." Hige said putting his hands behind his head.

"I call going with the hunting party, whoever it is." Tsari said.

"I'll go too." Toboe said. "I won't slow you down."

"I'll go too." Tsume said after a brief moment of silence.

"Okay, Tsume, you take the lead." Tsari exclaimed. She leaned toward Kiba's ear and whispered, "If you hear a howl, take the others and get the hell out of here. Don't even think about trying to find us."

"Understood." Kiba whispered back

"Okay, let's get the show on the road. Come on, Tsume, Toboe. Let's go!" Tsari shouted.

"Is she always this energetic?" Toboe asked.

"You should have seen her as a pup. Once, she was being chased by a couple of boys. Wolves, just like us. Well, she ran to me, and The boys stopped in their tracks. I scared them away. That was back when Taki was still alive." Tsume said with a sad smile on his face.

"Tell me, what was Taki like? Would I like her?"

"Oh, she was very...lively. She would start hunting one deer, then turn her attention abruptly toward another. She was packed full of energy. She would give Kiba a run for his money. What's strange is that about a month before the attack, she started looking very sad. She wouldn't eat for days on end, and when she did eat, she wouldn't be able to keep it down for more than an hour. I began to realize that I was losing her. I was...losing the only one I truly cared about in that pack. A month later, the soldiers attacked and burned everything to the ground. When I discovered the soldiers, I went to get Taki. She was right behind me as we ran away. When I turned around, she was gone, and I was exiled." Toboe had never, in the past life or this one, seen Tsume look so...broken. Emotional. He put a comforting hand on Tsume's shoulder, even though it was above his own head. Tsume chuckled in amusement.

"One of these days, you'll be as tall as me, maybe. Let's go see if Tsari's made a kill yet." They ran to a clearing, where Tsari was bent down over a small but meaty deer.

As they ran toward her, she suddenly jerked her head up. And with good reason. The terribly familiar ringing sound. The sound of a noble ship.

Chapter 6

Kiba POV

Kiba was laying down on the soft, dry grass when he heard the howl. The last thing Tsari said to him was 'If you hear a howl, take the others and get the hell out of here. Don't even think about trying to find us.'

"Guys, we have to go." He said.

"But Tsari and the others are still out there. They could be in trouble. Kiba, you need to take Armani and get outta here. Me and Blue'll go help the others." Hige shouted. he nodded at Blue, who then got up and the two of them ran in the direction of the howls.

Tsari POV

The soldiers surrounded the three wolves, who were taken by surprise.

` "What do you people want?" Tsume asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"We received a tip that there were wolves running around loose in the area. Have you seen 'em?" A soldier to Toboe's right asked. His eyes then fell onto the dead deer at Tsari's feet. "Get 'em! There the wolves!" He shouted.

"RUN!" Tsume shouted.

Suddenly, a flash of tan zoomed around the soldiers, who then fell with wounds on their bodies.

"Hige! Thanks, you just saved our asses." Tsari said breathlessly. Blue came out of the forest as she spoke.

"Eh, I try." Hige snickered. "These humans don't know when to give up, do they?"

"Nope…" Tsari suddenly slumped her head down, fell onto her knees and flopped onto the ground.

"Tsari, are you alright?" Toboe asked.

Tsari turned around, placed her hand on the side of her stomach, and put it in between all of them for the others to see. They saw blood.

"Th-they must have gotten me when I jumped o-out of the way." She stuttered.

"Tsari… don't!" Tsume shouted. Just as Tsari was about to fall over, Tsume caught her.

"Damn it all!" He shouted.

Just then, Kiba ran into the clearing.

"Tsari, are you okay?" He asked as he ran to them.

"I-I'm f-fine. N-no c-complaints h-h-here." It seemed that with every breath she took, she was getting weaker.

"Kiba, this one can help." A voice whispered from the forest.

"Armani...please, help her." Tsume whispered back.

Armani walked quickly down to where the others were. She knelt beside Tsari, whose head was now in Tsume's lap in order to ease her breathing. She then placed her hand over Tsari's wound and began to heal it.

"It's a good thing it's a full moon tonight. This one feels that this wound is a great one. This one cannot heal it alone." Armani whispered.

"That's right, Armani...heh, heh." A cold voice said from above them.