Chapter 2

Mimi

Disclaimer:

Toboe: I'm soooo sorry you are wasting your time reading this! -bows- You don't have anything better to do... do you? I don't either. Well other then that life is peachy… yep… ON WITH THE STORY!!!!!

Edited and Replaced Monday June 25, 2007

Toboe trotted to the entrance of the building, his pack reluctantly following. The building they were heading for was tall and gray, eerily similar to a descending storm cloud. Surrounding the main building was several warehouses with wolves pulling sleds to them. He glanced back as he saw Jack's black body racing after the others. He felt bad not fighting back but knew what She would do. One time a wolf had tried to escape. She had the wolf's back right leg broken and had made him pull twice as much weight as was possible till the wolf had died. She herself had beaten him ever time he had faltered. It was a horrible way to die.

"Hey! Earth to Toboe!"

"Hu! Oh sorry Kawa" Toboe said and shook his head.

"I'm taking Ibis. Okay?"

Toboe nodded and watched as Kawa bounded off with the little white pup stumbled after. He smiled inwardly. She was training to be a racer like Kawa. Kawa would spend most of the day on a treadmill running till she dropped. Ibis would spend the day with Her though. She would take Ibis when she went into public as a way to show off to other nobles. Toboe walked into the room for harnessing, lost in miserable thoughts.

CRACK

Toboe growled and spun around facing the man who had whipped him, reopening a thin cut on his back. He was a tall man with a jagged scar running across his face down his throat and under his shirt.

"Get in line you dumb wolf"

Toboe glared at the man with cold black emotionless eyes. A whip was held causally in his right hand but Toboe knew that at a moments notice it could lash out.

"Bueki" he growled. Standing completely still, several people rushed over and hooked harnesses all over him and his small pack. He was in front of the line with Sano and Lif side by side behind him. Danflor and Jack were in the last right next to the wheels. They often got scratched and torn feet from the runners for the harness were to close to each other for comfort. More people started packing boxes onto the sled.

"Move it!" Bueki yelled and cracked his whip upon their backs.

—

"Faster," a cool voice spoke, "faster."

Kawa's legs pumped faster and faster. Her tongue rolled as she ran and her head hung low to the ground she was so tired. Two doctors peered out of their small oval glasses and furiously wrote on billboard. The woman with the icy cool voice sat on a chair with Ibis next to her on a thin gold leash and collar in her hands. She would occasionally stroke the pup, who would shiver each time her head was touched.

"Good... Good..." She motioned for the doctors to slow the treadmill down. Kawa panted as the machine slowed down to a trot to a walk and then collapsed, her sides heaving like bellows, as the machine stopped.

"We reached a total of 53 mph today Lady Akuma," a doctor said.

Every wolf in the room unknowingly shivered as her name was spoken.

"Come here my pet," Akuma said. Her voice was like a cobra beautiful and deadly at the same time. Kawa crept foreword her ears pinned flat ageist her head. Akuma ever so gently put her hand under Kawa's muzzle and lifted it a little as if trying to look into her eyes but Kawa closed her eyes tight.

"You can do better my pet," Her voice got sharper and she dug her nails into Kawa's skin making her winch, "Again this time faster. We have a race tomorrow"

—

'It has gotten so much harder since Mimi died,' Toboe thought he strained against the load. He had gotten much stronger since he had gotten here. He was probably as strong as Tsume even now... but it still didn't lighten the load. If only Mimi was alive.

---

"Harder Toboe," a spunky gray wolf barked as she pulled next to him. They were straining to pull the sled over the top of the hill. Toboe pulled, his paws slipping under the snow of the winter storms. He could here the grunts of the others and the crack of Bueki's whip.

They finally reached the top of the hill. "You ready everyone?" Mimi said, "Okay ready... set... go!" Mimi threw herself over the hill the sled picking up speed. It shot off as the others ran after her and Toboe. There was no one quite like her. She always put her all into ever single thing she did turning things that had once been chores into games.

Toboe stole a glance at Mimi. Her tongue rolled out of her mouth as she ran. She glanced at him her eyes playful when then her eyes widened in surprise. Bueki had slung his whip and accidentally got her back leg trapped in to strap. He pulled her leg out from under her. Mimi rolled pulling the sled to the side. Toboe tried to stop the sled to help her, throwing his weight to the opposite side that she was falling but the strap that connected them stretched and broke. Sano bumped into Danflor who threw the whole sled off. The sled rolled to one side. Boxes and wolves went everywhere.

"Mimi?" Toboe moaned. The sled had stopped at the bottom of the hill. He lifted himself on wobbly legs. He stumbled over to all the members of his pack making sure they weren't hurt. Finally he got to Mimi's still form. He slipped on the red snow around her.

Her leg was bent in an unnatural position with part of the bone sticking out. A long jagged cut ran across her face and down her side from here she had gotten hit by the rolling sled. His feet were stained with her blood. Her eyes were glazing over as she mumbled to him.

"My sister once told me that destiny is like the sky hangs over us all. For some it's dark and cloudy, blocking the sun that shows us the way. For others the path is clear. For me I think..." she took a long shuddering gasp of air, " it's clear now."

She looked into his eyes and whispered so quietly he almost didn't hear, "I'll see you in Paradise." She took her last breath and died.

---

Toboe's back arched as Bueki cracked his whip over his back and anger flared in his mind. One day he would pay him back.

---

"So who wants to tell the story tonight?" Toboe asked surveying his pack. Every night they would bring down their blankets and gather to bandage wounds and tell stories. It was one thing they had control over. Lately it seemed to Toboe that he was always telling stories about how he and his old pack had been looking for paradise... and were reborn to find it again. It gave the pup's hope so he really didn't mind. He didn't really think they were coming anymore.

"Would you please continue your story?" Jack asked timidly. Jack's messy short black hair hid most of his face but his bright intelligent amber eyes still peeked out. He wore jeans and an old white long sleeved tee shirt with an emerald green one over the top. He looked at Toboe and fixed his black glasses, embarrassed. Jack was the shyest wolf Toboe had ever met, more likely to watch and listen instead of taking action. He was very smart though and was able to quickly figure things out.

"Well... if you all what me to?"

Lif nodded excitedly from the floor were he was sitting next to Sano. He wore black pants and a long sleeved blue shirt. Sano was in wolf form her head on her paws, firmly believing that if there were no humans around why bother wasting the though on a trick. He green eyes were half closed but she managed to shrug her brown shoulders.

"Sure!" Danflor said from his position on the floor. He had his hands behind his head. His reddish brown hair stuck up at odd angles and his gold eyes fixed to the ceiling. He wore black pants and a red sleeveless shirt.

"Okay... Were was I... Well-" Toboe was cut short as the door was flung open and She walked in.

She stood in the doorframe with Bueki behind her. Fueki stood behind them with a pile of old, thin sheets and a bag in his hands. Bueki had a young pup by the scruff of the neck. It wiggled and yelped.

"You have a new roommate," She snapped and then turned on her heals to stalk out of the room.

Bueki threw the pup into the room. The little pup landed right on Toboe knocking the wind out of him. Fueki quickly dropped the bag and sheets he was holding. "I stuck some food in the bag," he whispered and slipped out of the room before the door closed.

The small gray wolf pup yelped and scratched Toboe, launching himself off the startled wolf. The pup ran over to the bag and ripped it open. With human hands he pulled out a tattered old stuffed animal. It was a small gray wolf. The little boys violet eyes were wide with fright and clutching the toy he stared at. He wore an off-white long sleeved shirt that was loosely tied at the wrists. His pants were of brown cloth tied with an off-white sash. He stood with his back ageist the wall, like a deer in headlights, his tan skin going pale. Toboe thought he looked about eight in human years.

"Hey! Why did you do that?" Toboe said rubbing his scratched arm.

"Bekommen Sie Sie Ungeheuer zurück! Was tat, tun Sie mit der Mama! Wie steht's mit dem Papa!" the little boy said in a shaky voice.

"Toboe," Kawa said, "I don't think he understands you. He called us monsters and wanted to know were his parents are." Kawa pointed to herself. "Mein Name ist Kawa..." The others quickly followed her lead speaking their name. The little pup seemed to settle down a little bit and he mumbled something under his breath.

"Christopher," he said pointing to himself. Kawa started talking to him slowly.

"Wenig ein. Toboe bedeutete nicht zu brüllen. Sie können nicht mit Ihnen sprechen. Sie suchen eine verschiedene Sprache. Wurden Sie von Ihren Eltern genommen? Wir alle waren. Kommen Sie hier Christopher."

She kept talking while walking slowly forward. At first Christopher bared his teeth and growled but Kawa still walked foreword. She walked up right next to him and petted his head. The little boy broke into tears and threw himself into her open arms. She gently cuddled him while he went on and on.

"Mama! Papa! Sie sind weg!" The little boy sobbed into her shirt. Kawa gently stroked his blond hair and held a small conversation with the boy. Kawa turned to Toboe.

"I told him that you are the wolf from the tales and you were going to tell us all about your adventures. He wants to hear it. I think it's a good thing if he does. It will distract him." Kawa picked up Christopher and sat down next to Danflor with the little pup in her lap.

"Danflorrrrr," Christopher said rolling his r's. Danflor beamed and pointed to Christopher, "Chris."

The little boy smiled brightly.

Toboe: I hope you all liked it!! . Life is fun huh? Well I will see you next chapter. Criticism is loved in reviews but flames are frowned upon…. I'll cry… 