Hey there! There is a bit of a time skip between this chapter and the last. This chapter starts in Episode 5, Fallen Wolves. Also: Warning you now, I use a lot of big words in this chapter. Leave a review or pm me if you don't understand something.
I'm sincerely very sorry that this has taken me so long. This chapter, like the last, required me to watch the anime, and with a whole bunch of life junk getting in the way, *cough cough* Moving, No WiFi *cough cough* It has taken me longer than I would have liked. I promise that you can expect more frequent updates from now on. I even have the new chapter in the works right now!
Also, the main reason I decided to sit my tail down and get THIS THING DONE is because as of today, It's been a year and five days since I last updated. Probably the same thing is gonna happen with NOT-So-Average, sorry guys.
Warning, there is some dialogue straight from the Anime in here, so there will be some improper grammar in those places. Please bear with me. Also, there will be fighting, and some tense moments. Read at your own risk.
A big shout out/Thank you to Shy Whisper Of Life for Beta Reading this story, SilverfoxFay, Fruits . Basket 1 (It wouldn't let me type your name any other way), and ldw126 for Reviewing, all of you stalkers who haven't said anything but read it, and my Band Kohai for helping me get me rear in gear! (You know who you are!)
I do not own Wolf's Rain or any of the original plot or characters. I did come up with any changes to the traditional plot.
Childhood Scars Chapter 2
Fallen Wolves, Stolen Flowers
"I had a dream that we reached Paradise!" Toboe said excitedly as the small pack relaxed in the snow one morning. "Oh it was so amazing! There were all these red and blue flowers blooming as far as the eye could see! And you know what," he added with a grin, "they were all Lunar Flowers!"
"Have you ever seen a Lunar Flower before?" Hige asked lazily, leaning back on his arms with only one eye open.
"Well, no, not really," the young wolf replied quietly, looking down. "But granny was there too! And she took care of us, and she cooked for us, and made us all kinds of delicious food!" His slightly gloomy demeanor instantly vanishing when he thought of the more pleasant parts of his dream.
"What are you talking about?" The tan wolf asked skeptically, but he couldn't stop his other eye popping open excitedly at the mention of his favorite "F" word.
"I guess he'll be happy being somebody's pet even in Paradise," Tsume said, stretched out on the white powder, his arms folded behind his head.
"It's not what you're thinking!" Toboe argued. "It was like a party and we were all treated like guests! And there was great music playing and everything!" A bright smile colored the young wolf's face.
"Sounds like a city coffee shop to me," the lazy wolf joked, both eyes now closed.
The little red wolf appeared to be in deep thought for a moment. "But it's true Hige! It was so amazing! It made me think this was really paradise! It's kind of, hard to describe..."
"Well with a brain like yours whadaya expect?" The tan mexican wolf retorted.
"Gimme a break!" Toboe said frustratedly. " Not even Kiba's told me about what paradise is really like, so how am I supposed to know?" The runt demanded. He turned and looked to said wolf with a question on his lips. "What color are lunar flowers anyway? Can you tell me that?"
Even Hige looked over his shoulder at the white wolf, hoping for an answer.
Kiba only smiled.
The unlikely pack trudged up another snowy hill, Kiba leading the way, with Tsume close behind. Farther back was Hige, and a good ten yards behind him was Toboe, his shorter legs making it hard for him to keep up.
At the top of the hill, the two more dominant wolves of the pack stopped. The lazy wolf looked back at the Runt, a silent question passing between them. Why did they stop?
The Mexican wolf picked up the pace and caught up with the two, and he too stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of whatever it was that had captivated Kiba and Tsume.
"What is it?" Toboe called out has he struggled to run up the snowy hill. When he reached the top, his eyes widened in awe.
The white wolf, normally the quiet one, was the only person to answer.
"The Ocean."
A bridge of train tracks were all that connected the mainland to the little island, stretching across the large body of salty blue water. It was so far out to sea, that the land itself wasn't even visible at this end of the tracks. Seagulls cawed and screeched overhead as the four wolves crossed the bridge in silence. Kiba stopped, the ocean breeze blowing his hair back and forth.
"The scent is really faint, but it's lunar flowers alright." On the outside, his voice and expression showed his usually calm certainty, but on the inside, he was struggling with something. Yes, it's Lunar Flowers, but something about the scent is... off. It's Lunar Flowers, but it's not. And then there's this feeling I have, it feels like I'm being pulled towards this city, towards something or someone in it, yet everything is screaming inside of me to stay away. My heart says to go, but my head says to run away. What do I do? What do I-
His inner turmoil fell away as he heard Toboe's voice. "Guys, this is it! Paradise is right up ahead, I know it!" The runt said as he took off running down the tracks with renewed vigour.
I'm not sure it's Paradise, but there's something there that will help us find Paradise. It won't be easy, but we'll find it, and find Paradise.
His mind made up, Kiba ran after Toboe, then Hige followed suit, just ahead of a reluctant Tsume.
Once I find Paradise, maybe I'll even see you again, Keshu. Kiba thought as he ran. An image of the fire, his sister crushed beneath the burning log, flashed through his mind. She was the reason he kept looking for Paradise. Because maybe, just maybe, when he found it, she would be there. Smiling and teasing him, just like she always did. He shook his head. He knew she would be there. She had to be. It wouldn't be Paradise without her.
For once, the hierarchy of the pack was reversed. This time it was Toboe, the youngest, but the most ready to believe, who was in the lead, as they raced down the tracks toward the scent of the flowers.
At the end of the tracks was the Island, and one thing was certain. That place, sure as the moon glows, looked nothing like what any of them had dreamed Paradise would be.
Inside the city, a girl who appeared to be about eighteen froze and slowly stood up from the pile of trash she was going through. She lifted her head to the wind, her messy dark chocolate hair, which usually fell to the small of her back, and her long black scarf blowing behind her. They were a stark contrast to the white fleece jacket she'd pulled on over a gray sweater. Something, be it on the wind or in her heart, seemed to be trying to tell her something; that something big was about to happen.
She smirked and stuffed her hands in her dark blue jeans as she stalked off, her black leather boots occasionally scuffing against the concrete. Give me a break. Nothing ever happens here.
The teen froze mid-step however, when an all too familiar voice sounded in her head
"You're not a human, Rydia. You have instinct for a reason."
Rydia sighed as she remembered the day Yamataze had forcibly pounded that into her head. It had left a few bruises, but after he had gotten through to her, he gained a few of his own.
Flashback
"You're not a human, Rydia. You have instinct for a reason."
A younger Rydia stood in the middle of a grassy green meadow, her then-shoulder-length hair pulled back into a low ponytail. She had her arms folded and had just rolled her eyes at the man who had spoken, about 10 feet away from her.
"If you rely on this, 'instinct' of yours," she said, her voice dripping with something akin to a teenager lecturing their parents about why they were wrong. "You're bound to make a mistake eventually. But if instead of rushing into something headfirst with your eyes closed you take time to consider your options, the chances of a positive outcome increases by 37%."
Now the man in front of her folded his arms, his piercing deep brown eyes staring straight into Rydia's blue ones. It took all the girl's courage not to cower under the intensity of his gaze. Though his appearance was that of a young man of about 20 or so years, he gave off an aura that seemed much wiser and far more ancient than that. Despite him wearing only a plain white t-shirt and dark blue jeans and standing there barefoot, she wouldn't have been surprised to see him in the formal attire of a Noble. His tanned skin and long white hair, which was pulled back in its usual braid with two shorter pieces framing his face, only added to the feeling of being in the presence of Royalty.
"Because of your... unconventional upbringing, " Rydia almost growled at the poorly veiled insult, "You have been hard wired to ignore your instincts. If you still lived with that noble, I wouldn't waste my time drilling this into your head."
"If I still lived with Lord Herveaux, I wouldn't even be here." The brunette growled through her teeth. Her 'Teacher' nodded.
"Point taken. But you don't anymore, you live here in the real world with the rest of us mortals. This isn't some fighting simulation where you get bonus points for thinking before you act. Often times, taking time to think will just get you hurt or killed. As I'm sure you're already aware," He finished with a slight smirk.
"Tch," Rydia for once didn't respond with a biting retort, as the white bandages she wore proved that yes, she was aware. There was no way her pride would allow her to admit this to Yamataze, however. Instead, she turned her face away from him, but kept him in sight. That was one of the few things that she hadn't argued when he began teaching her. Don't take your eyes off your opponent.
It was a good thing she did, because without warning, he launched himself at her. She slid into a defensive stance that she had been taught while she was young, and readied herself for his attack.
'Strange,' she thought. 'He seems slower than usua-'
Her train of thought was cut off when his form flickered and then vanished before her eyes. 'What the-?'
He reappeared behind her and landed a hit in the small of her back with the tips of his fingers, surprising her and sending her off balance so she nearly fell when she spun around to face him.
She tried to think, calculate what he would do next, but he was moving too fast! All she ever saw were flashes as she tried to dodge his hits. She threw a punch at his face, but he dropped to the ground and spun on his hands, kicking her legs out from underneath her then launching himself upward as she hit the ground, the air knocked out of her lungs. The brunette made to roll to the side, but hesitated. In her moment of hesitation, Yamataze fell from the sky and pinned her to the ground. Her eyes widened as she realised she had no escape. His knees pinned her hands to the ground on either side of her, his left forearm pressed against her throat, his right fist poised in the air, ready to strike her.
'Damn it. Damn it! How'd he-? Damn it!' She mentally cursed at her failure. His hand flew and she closed her eyes and waited for the blow.
But it never came.
Unless you count her getting poked in the forehead. Rydia's eyes opened in surprise to stare at Yamataze. His eyes were closed. Her eyes widened when she realized that his eyes had been closed the entire time he was fighting her. When they opened, there was something mixed in with the usual hard, brown stare, something that softened his gaze. There was a bit of... amusement? Amusement and something else she couldn't place. Something... warm. "You ignored your instinct," He said, his voice softer than before, tinged with a hint of the same warmth that colored his eyes. His long braid had fallen over his shoulder, and caught the mid afternoon light, shining like an angel's robe. A few strands of hair had pulled loose and hung, nearly brushing her face. "If you had followed through, you would have lasted longer. Won, probably not. Lasted long enough to make an escape, most likely."
Embarrassed at being defeated so easily, the tips of her ears turned pink. She rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine. I'll try it your way."
A half smile graced Yamataze's lips for a moment, then disappeared as he stood, offering her a hand up. She took it, clasping it firmly as he pulled her to her feet. He retreated a few paces, then turned to face her. "This time, use your instincts," He said, Rydia muttering something in reply.
"What was that? I couldn't hear you," Yamataze mocked, putting a hand to his ear.
"I don't know how!" She almost yelled. "Okay? I don't know how to 'Use my Instincts!' I don't get it at all! How can you blindly trust in something that defies all logic?"
Yamataze pursed his lips. In all his years, he had never once imagined how he might go about explaining how to trust instinct to a wolf of all creatures. Finally, something came to him.
"I fought you with my eyes closed. I was able to do that not just because I have a high skill level, but because I trusted my instincts. I won't ask you to close your eyes, but just listen very closely. The minute something pops into your head, do it. Don't think, just do. Ancient warriors called Samurai lived by the same principle. They trained so they knew the right moves, but when the time to fight came, they emptied their minds and let their instinct control them. Because of this, they were one of the most feared forces in history. Relying on statistics and trying to stay to a certain pattern or form is going to get you killed, remember. When I attacked, you took too much time calculating. You were taught to fight by a Noble, who can afford to take time to think, because he had the money and the means of rectifying his mistakes. He didn't need instinct, so he taught you not to use yours. You can't fix everything that goes wrong, because you are not human; you are not a Noble; you are a Wolf, and you were given instinct for a reason. Wolves seem to have a much stronger instinct than other animals, and you can use that to your advantage. Trust it, follow it. Remember, don't think, just do."
Yamataze slid into a stance that was neither offensive or defensive, pushing his left foot forward and holding his hands slightly away from his chest. "I won't go easy on you."
She snorted. "And you were before?"
His smile was the only answer. She tried not to let it get to her, but it did. He had his eyes closed, he wasn't using his full strength, and still beat her soundly. The white haired man laughed when he saw the shock on her face. "Keep in mind," he said, "I do have a few hundred years of experience on you."
Rydia rolled her eyes and studied his stance, trying to predict what he was going to do. 'No,' a voice said inside her. 'Don't think. Just do. Trust your instincts.'
Taking a deep breath, then letting it out, She closed her eyes. 'Just do. Don't think, no mind. Just do.'
Slowly, she slid into an offensive stance that Yamataze had taught her.
'Good, good. Let your instincts take over. Leave behind the Human they tried to turn you into, and let the Wolf inside you run free.'
When she opened her stormy-blue eyes, he saw them flash to a golden yellow color, before settling back to their normal color. Even though she was in her human disguise, his chocolate brown eyes saw through it, and saw the white, battle scarred wolf she truly was. The look in her eyes, in both human and lupine forms, was stone cold, bordering on a glare.
It was a look that caused his instincts to scream at him to swish his tail and prance back and forth, or better yet, turn tail and run. Despite the lecture he had just given Rydia, he ignored this and slid into a defensive stance, just as the young she wolf sprung to attack.
End Flashback
The now older wolf smiled to herself as she remembered the good times she had with with her teacher, and eventually friend, Yamataze. She hadn't won, not by a long shot. But she did better than she ever had before, and every day, she was stronger, faster, and more willing to trust her instincts and leap.
Trust your instincts. The voice sounded in her head again. 'Alright,' She thought back. 'I'll play along. Lead on.'
Kiba and Hige were the first two over the city wall, their landings barely making a sound.
"You smelled flowers huh?" the tan wolf asked, inhaling the city air through his self proclaimed unfailable nose and not really expecting an answer. "All I smell is the stench of some old, rancid oil," he sighed as Toboe, courtesy of Tsume no doubt, joined them on the inside of the wall, but landed with much less finesse, falling on his rear as said gray wolf landed on his feet. Without pause, the oldest of the group walked on, thumbs in his pockets.
The rest of the pack followed suit, and they all walked down the nearly abandoned city streets with no apparent destination, Tsume in the lead.
"Man, what a crappy city," Tsume said, Toboe making a small noise of assent as he watched some of the city's few inhabitants draw the curtains on their window upon seeing them, and that was only what they saw. In an alley they passed, a group of homeless men watched them from around a corner, a mother clutched her infant child to her as she stood next to the window. Everyone they passed seemed to have the same idea as to how to deal with the newcomers; keep out of their sight, but keep them in theirs.
"Do you think they're all afraid of us?" Toboe asked no one in particular
"Not used to visitors, that's for sure," Hige agreed. "What the heck are we supposed to find here anyway?" To an outside observer, he was just wondering aloud, but the other three knew he was really asking Kiba. The white wolf however, remained silent.
"This is some Paradise."
It became more apparent to the others with his last statement that perhaps Tsume was trying to goad Kiba into a fight, not that it would work. The target of the gray wolf's subtle jabs was as stoic as ever on the outside, and too caught up in his internal battle to even consider Tsume's words internally.
Time passed quickly as they wandered the desolate city streets, until as they were passing a silent group gathered around a fire, they took a second look.
They were no ordinary humans.
It was a pack of wolves.
Toboe gasped quietly, and of course the first words out of Hige's mouth were, "It's a woman!"
Said woman outright glared back at him from under her faded orange headscarf, a few locks of violet hair framing her hard golden eyes.
It soon became apparent that she was not the only one who wasn't happy with the new pack's appearance and Hige's words, as one of the pack stood, blocking the Mexican Wolf's view of the female. He looked to be in his mid thirties, his dark, dirty blonde hair was slicked back, and he wore a black and red jacket and a dark blue shirt underneath, with a pale scar that stood out starkly against his skin on his cheek. He leveled his dull yellow gaze at the boys, but specifically at Kiba, who glared right back. A brief contest of wills took place between the two alphas, before the older of the two spoke.
"Where are you boys from?" He drawled, his eyes never once leaving Kiba's.
"A city to the north," the younger male answered calmly.
After a brief pause, the other alpha spoke again. "Why are you here?"
Tsume spoke this time. "Just passing through," he answered. "You don't expect us to do business in a dump like this?"
"Well then, where you going?" the older wolf asked.
"Where are we going?" Hige asked, sounding dumfounded.
Arms akimbo and a look of pure determination on his face, Toboe answered with a completely earnest, "To Paradise!"
The other pack stared at him with wide eyes and open mouths. Slowly, a dark chuckle came from the alpha of the city pack, which soon grew till he was hunched over laughing with the rest of his pack.
"Kiba, why are they laughing?" Toboe asked as he looked to the older boy, wondering if he had said something wrong.
"Because they obviously don't know anything about Paradise," He answered as he borderline glared at the other pack.
Even though his voice was low, it became apparent that he could still be heard over their laughter as they stopped laughing and the alpha spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "We know all about it."
"Huh?" Hige and Toboe said in unison, completely bewildered. If they knew about it, then why were they laughing?
Kiba's glare intensified as he waited for them to speak. They had better have a good reason for bashing on his dream of seeing his sister again, or he was gonna get really mad.
"It's nothing but a stupid legend," one of the other wolves, this one wearing a dirty orange cap, said with a sneer.
"Legend?" Toboe echoed.
"That's right kid," Orange hat replied, "There's no such thing as Paradise."
"What makes you say that?" Kiba asked, his voice the same as ever, but internally he was daring the other wolf to prove him wrong.
Orange hat grinned. "Maybe it's because we've all been there, we've all seen it," he said, enjoying the astonished looks on the younger wolf's faces as he spoke, "And believe me, it was no Paradise. That place was more like hell."
The smaller pack was speechless. All except Tsume. "Well that's no surprise," he smirked.
Kiba didn't say a word, though he was thinking plenty.
"You'll find out soon enough," The alpha said stoically. "You'll see that Paradise isn't worth looking for." Perhaps this lack of outward emotion was one of the requirements to be an alpha? "Now why don't you all just get lost. You do have somewhere you belong, don't you?" he sneered, Tsume walking away before he even finished speaking.
"Come on Kiba let's go," Toboe pleaded, pulling on the unmoving Alpha's arm, "I don't wanna hang around here." Eventually he was successful in getting Kiba to move as the other wolves laughed at their backs.
"Hey, word of advice to you kids, keep one eye open, eh?" The boys stopped one final time, and turned to face Orange hat again. "There's a mad white she-wolf runnin' 'round here that'll kill ya as soon as look at'cha, an' she don't take kindly to newcomers. Best if you get outta here sooner rather than later, ya get me?" he warned them.
"We'll keep that in mind," Kiba said in his usual monotone, internally already guessing why he would say that, then turned and continued walking with the rest of his pack, only Hige looking back and catching the now sorrowful gaze of the female. As soon as they were out of earshot, Hige sighed.
"Man, am I glad he warned us." he said, without a trace of sarcasm in his voice.
"Why's that Hige?" Toboe asked innocently.
"There is absolutely, positively, nothing scarier than an angry she-wolf." He replied with a shudder. Tsume laughed, and even Kiba cracked a smile. It was evident to both of them that their pack mate had first hand experience in this. Only Toboe looked confused, and slowed to a stop as he thought. "I don't get it. And why are you laughing?" The runt asked innocently. This, of course, only brought more laughter.
"Hey! What's so funny? C'mon guys!" Toboe whined as he ran to catch up with them, only to run into Hige, as the three older wolves had stopped dead in their tracks.
"Hige," Toboe groaned. "Why'd you stop?"
However, there was no reply, leaving Toboe with only one option. He pushed between Kiba and Hige until he managed to break out from behind the wall of wolves and see what had stopped them. It was then that the young wolf understood why they had stopped.
Rydia growled to herself. She had played along, but was starting to dislike the game. Her instincts were leading her closer and closer to Zali's pack of city mutts. She absolutely despised them, and they her. It wasn't her fault, however, that they were all filthy dogs. Or that one of them, the one with the stupid orange hat, couldn't take no for an answer, and she was forced to beat him within an inch of his life to get the point across. Ever since then, they had all kept their distance, but what they didn't know is that she was privy to every one of their underhanded schemes. And she didn't like it one bit. But what could she do? She was one wolf, they were an entire pack.
Her chain of thought was broken when she heard voices from a street coming up on her right. The one that lead to Zali's camp.
But these weren't any of the wolves of that pack of mutts, these voices were different. Younger, full of life. And the laughter, it wasn't the dark, almost demented laughter of Zali's pack. Instead, it was joyful, happy. Lifting her nose to the air, she scented wolves. But unlike Zali's pack, which stank of the city and the humans that lived there, they smelled of clean snow, fresh meat, and, as ridiculous as it may sound, freedom.
Outsiders… She thought. Maybe this was the something big that she felt was coming. Might as well see why they're here. The white she wolf continued walking, stopping in the middle of the street the wolves were walking down. Fixing them with her, Maybe If you're worth my time I'll hear what you have to say before I kill you look, she watched as they froze, recognition flashing across their faces.
Looks like my reputation precedes me. Rydia thought as she looked them over. Three, no, four of them. She counted, and recounted as the young pup appeared. He looks like the type that wants to be everyone's best friend. The tall one, definitely a fighter, if that scar is anything to go by. Even though he's just standing there, he's balanced so that he can attack or defend with a moment's notice. He'd be interesting to fight. The chubby one looks like a complete pushover. He's slumping, and his weight can't mean he's very fast. He'd be easy to take down.
The brunette mentally sized everyone up, but almost smirked when she reached the last member of the pack, the only one returning her glare, and sizing her up as well.
Well well well. Found the leader. The only one with a head on his shoulders, and something taking up space inside. He's obviously been in his fair share of fights, and there's something about him…
Rydia's eyes found his, stormy blue meeting stormy blue. To her, the male wolf's human skin seemed to disappear, replaced by the form of a proud white wolf, tail held high. Neither looked away, neither backed down, until something inside of the she-wolf exploded, part encouraging her to get closer, the rest screaming at her to run, run as far away as possible, and never set eyes on him again.
As Kiba met the eyes of the she wolf, he noticed that feeling of wanting to run the other way returned, along with the feeling that he needed to be here. He didn't get a chance to act, however, when the mystery wolf blocking their path bolted off into the city. The rest of the pack, seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
"Do you think that was…?" Toboe asked quietly.
Hige nodded. "No doubt about it. That was her. A white she wolf."
"Then why did she just stand there staring at us, and then why did she bolt?" Tsume growled.
"Maybe she wanted to say hello, but then she got scared." The youngest of the group offered. Tsume rolled his eyes. "Sure. You and porky are real intimidating."
Tuning out the argument that followed, Kiba stood and thought. Why did she bolt? She looked like she was about to kill us, then she just turned tail and ran. The white wolf got the feeling that wouldn't be the last they saw of the mysterious she wolf.
The sun was setting, and the pack was still wandering the streets, this time however, they were looking for somewhere to sleep.
"What a joke, a bunch of losers just gave me the brush off, Tsume griped, obviously not happy that his status as a gang leader in Freeze City didn't extend out here.
"Yeah right, you're not exactly one to talk you know," Hige said with a roll of his eyes.
"What'd you say?" Tsume growled, stopping and turning to face the, fluffier, wolf.
"It's just," Hige stammered, hands up in defense, "In a couple of years we could be just like those guys!"
"This city is scary," Toboe interjected, though he didn't really look or sound scared at all. "Doesn't feel right. There may be a lot of wolves that live around here, but this place is really cold."
"Well maybe they're right," Tsume said, "The sooner we get out of here, The better off we'll be."
"And where do you think we should go exactly?" Kiba asked, causing the others to look back at him with eyes wide, even if it was just a slight head turn in Tsume's case.
"There has to be something here! Just look how many wolves are in this city!" The alpha pointed out. "I think we should stay here and find out," he finished, his gaze daring anyone to question him.
No one did, and they continued walking.
"Yeah yeah, of course I need workers, but everyone you bring me is always too old!" a man said somewhere else in the city.
The city wolves' alpha sighed. "They still get the job done don't they?"
"Sure, but for how long?" The man complained.
"Look, do you need workers or not?" The alpha asked, apparently tired of the conversation.
The man sighed. "Alright, alright. Come back tomorrow morning," He said, then turned and walked off. After a moment, the wolf turned and walked away as well.
He didn't get far, however, before he was stopped by the words of the violet haired female from earlier.
"Those kids remind me of you, how you used to be in the old days," she said with a nostalgic smile, staring at the wall opposite the crate she was sitting on as if it was a window to the past instead of another part of the filthy city. Looking away from the wall, she turned her eyes on her alpha. "Unafraid of anything, with that fire in their eyes."
He didn't speak.
"Zali," She said, breaking the momentary silence. "Are you satisfied with our life here?"
"Yeah, sure I am," the now named Zali replied, almost too quickly. "This life suits us all just fine."
"Can you say that with as much to those boys?" She challenged.
Zali shot her a glare, but the she-wolf didn't waver or apologize. Their contest of wills was broken by the arrival of the wolf with the orange hat.
"Those kids went off towards the graveyard," He said, walking towards them almost smugly, hands in his pockets. "I doubt anyone will see them."
"Fine, just keep a close eye on'em until they leave town," Zali ordered.
"Don't worry," Orange hat assured his leader, "When they find they can't get any food, they won't stick around for very long. Unless of course you wanna train em' so they can work here," he suggested slyly.
"Leave the thinking to me, got it?" Zali said testily. Orange hat fell silent.
"When it comes to the pack, we only take care of our business. That's the way it is," Zali said as he continued walking on, leaving the two behind.
A gurgling sound pierced the otherwise quiet night.
"Who was that?" Hige asked. He chuckled nervously as his pack mates turned to him, each giving him their own special brand of an 'Are you serious?' look. "Oh, it's me."
At another, similar, yet quieter sound, they all turned on the oldest of the pack.
"But it was Tsume that time," The tan wolf chuckled nervously as said silver wolf turned away with a "Hmph."
"How do those guys live here with nothing to eat?" Hige wondered as he stared up at the moon, the only thing visible in the night sky due to the stars being hidden or blocked out by smoke and smog. "Just standing around a bunch of trash all day doing nothing," he sighed.
"I can't walk another step," Toboe sighed.
"Okay then, I guess we should just find a place to sleep," The tan wolf said, as Tsume stood and walked off without a word.
"Hey, where the heck are you going?" Hige asked indignantly, but didn't get an answer as Kiba stood and followed, nor as Toboe followed suit.
"Oh, wait up!" Hige whined as he finally stood and followed the rest.
After another round of Walk-Around-The-City, the pack found themselves at an old graveyard, with a few small, rundown buildings scattered around.
"This'll be a good place to sleep," Tsume said, and no one could tell if he was joking or not.
"Well, it looks like," Hige sighed, "we can forget food." As expected, getting a meal was the first thing on the, shall we say, 'fluffy', wolf's mind.
"This place gives me the willies,(1)" The youngest of them all said nervously. But perhaps for once, his fears weren't ungrounded after all, as a strange scratching sound filled the air, growing louder the deeper they ventured into the graveyard.
"Guys," Toboe said, his voice growing even more fearful by the minute, "I keep hearing something weird…"
"Would you stop being scared of everything?" Tsume growled at him.
At that moment, something sprung out of a hole in their path. Hige and Toboe shouted in fear, falling backwards onto the ground. Even Tsume was startled, though he showed it by falling into a defensive stance and going for his knife.
Kiba didn't seem startled at all, something Tsume probably would have gotten upset about had he not been preoccupied with the ancient, dirty brown Wolf in front of them.
The pack, sans Kiba, let out a sigh of relief. "Hey gramps, what are you doing? You scared the crap out of us!" Hige exclaimed, bits of annoyance at being scared by this old wolf evident in his voice.
"Oh?" The ancient wolf croaked, now in his human guise, consisting of a very old man with excessive amounts of ear hair, the white color matching the rest of the hair on his balding head. He was missing teeth, and his tattered purple jacket and light blue scarf seemed to be as ancient as the rest of him. "I was only digging a hole for myself."
"A hole for yourself?" The Mexican wolf asked in confusion.
"Are you saying you're digging a grave?" Kiba asked, the confusion in his tone being the only evidence that he cared for an answer.
"Well," The elderly wolf said, "When you get to be my age, you begin to recognize when your time has come."
"You might want to dig a little faster then," Tsume said, his voice mocking the older wolf.
"I thought I was a goner too," Toboe sighed, the relief in his voice apparent.
"Excuse me," Kiba said, surprising the others by speaking seemingly out of nowhere, "but do you know of any Lunar flowers in this city?"
The white wolf wanted to ask about the mysterious she-wolf they had been warned against interacting with, but decided to leave the questioning about females to Hige.
The old wolf's eyes grew wide. "Ohh!" He exclaimed, joy etched across his ancient face. "A flower bed, it went on forever!" He said in excitement, arms spread wide as if to emphasize just how vast the field of mystical flowers was.
Kiba's azure eyes widened. There had actually been flowers growing in this dump? No wonder he had caught the scent!
"Long, long ago," The old wolf began, "They bloomed all over this Island. But then one day they were all dug up, and now there's not a single petal left."
"A long time ago, huh?" Hige asked, actually seeming interested in something that wasn't girls or food.
Remembering his earlier discussion with his pack about his dream, Toboe ventured a question. "Hey, can you tell us what color they were?"
"What color?" The elder echoed, "Well, let's see," He said, seeming to ponder the runt's question. "Why, the color of the moon!" He said, pointing to the celestial body he had named, even though the slim crescent was barely visible through the fog of air pollution.
The pack, minus Kiba, who already knew their color, felt pretty stupid.
Trying to cover up for his lack of knowledge, Tsume sent another jab the old man's, and possibly Kiba's, way, in the form of a question. "And what about Paradise, have you been there?" he smirked.
"Oh, every wolf goes in search of it," the ancient wolf answered, "I myself tried to find it, once."
"What'd you do?" Toboe asked, genuine curiosity in his tone.
In lieu of a vocal answer, the city wolf simply climbed out of the hole he was digging, and began walking away. The pack followed, and after a moment, Gramps stopped.
"Look," he said, pointing to a boarded up hole, "That's the entrance over there."
"Ugh!" Hige complained, covering his nose with his arm. "That reeks! It smells like death warmed over!"
Tsume's face had a look of disgust, and Kiba's one of shock, but Toboe just looked disappointed.
"I was kinda hoping it'd be a nicer place," the runt said dejectedly.
Kiba didn't say a word, but internally, he was at war with himself once again as he stared at the 'Entrance.'
'I'm so close, Keshu, I've almost found you...'
Not yet.
'What?'
You can't leave yet. There is still something you must do here. Something you must find.
This left Kiba puzzled. What could be more important than being reunited with his beloved sister as soon as possible? He always followed his instincts, but in this case, they had to be wrong. What was there for him here when the path to his litter-mate was right in front of him?
Against his instinct, he walked toward the tunnel. He could almost hear her laughing, teasing him. Even as a pup her voice had been the most beautiful he had ever heard. It was always so full of joy and elation, making him feel like he could do anything.
"I wouldn't," Gramps said, bringing him out of his thoughts. "There have been many young wolves that have set out through there, but sadly enough, not one of them ever reached paradise," He said with a sigh. "Then what's left for the ones who return is to eek out a living here, just like the rest of us."
"So all the wolves here have tried to get to Paradise?" Toboe asked.
"Well," The old man shrugged, "almost all of them."
"That She-Wolf," Kiba said quietly, and all knew who he was talking about, just like how he didn't need to see Gramps' nod to know he was right.
"She showed up here four years ago, and none of us knew why she would be traveling alone, or what she was doing here," Gramps revealed. "She keeps to herself, and doesn't bother us unless she's provoked." At this he chuckled, as if reminiscing on some entertaining memory. "She has a fiery temper, and has no trouble defending herself from any Male who might get the wrong idea, regardless of size or strength. Perhaps the strangest thing about her is despite living here, where nothing ever grows, she always smells faintly of Lunar Flowers."
At this newest revelation, Kiba's eyes widened. Lunar Flowers? But how? If they had bloomed here, the land might bear traces of their scent, but how was it she did?
"Okay old man," A gruff, but not hostile voice said from behind the pack, causing them to turn, only to see the leader of the City Wolf pack, Zali. "I think you should call it a day. Don't forget, there's work to do tomorrow."
"I see," the old man said. "Well, I've dug it deep enough," he said in reference to his grave as he crossed to join his Alpha.
"Wait a minute," Kiba said as they turned to leave. "When you and your pack tried to get to Paradise, is this the path you took?" The white wolf asked, though it was obvious from the look in his azure eyes, locked onto Zali's yellow pair, he expected an answer.
"I thought I told you it doesn't exist," He growled in response, not taking kindly to being stared down by the younger wolf, Alpha or not.
"Zali," The older wolf sighed, the barest hint of a reproach in his voice. There was not enough to be seen as rebuking his Alpha, but his disappointment was plain to see.
"If you kids disrupt the peace of this pack in any way," Zali continued, seemingly ignoring the elder, "I'll show you now mercy. Now get out of town before dawn, is that clear?"
If one cared to peer beneath the Alpha's grouchy exterior, they might see his pride taking hold, his gruffness a result of him trying to cover his earlier moment of weakness. No one seemed to care enough to do so, however, except a certain white she-wolf, watching the scene unfold from atop one of the ruined buildings nearby, who smirked.
'The old man's getting soft. Nostalgia, maybe? From what I've weaseled out of Cole in the past, he was a lot like those kids. If he keeps going downhill like that, he's gonna have a revolt on his hands sooner than later,' she thought. Perhaps when that happened, she should head out. She had done all the research she could here, and still had little to show for it. Not to mention without Zali to keep them in line, she'd be fighting off Moss and his cronies twenty-four seven. Joy.
'But first thing's first,' She thought from her perch as she caught Cole's scent on the wind. 'I need those boys out of here. And I know just how to do it.'
She leaped silently from rooftop to rooftop, following the scent of the deceptively least frightening wolf in this city. 'They won't want to stay here long if they know what really goes on. How they really 'survive' in this city.'
She dropped down in front of Cole, causing the older female to jump in surprise.
"Rydia!" She shouted, seemingly startled. The brunette easily saw through her act, but didn't point it out. She had work to do.
"You're going to take food to those boys," The Azure eyed girl said, her tone all business. "And you're going to tell them that they can get more at the station tomorrow morning."
"The station?" Cole asked, eyes widening in surprise. "Why in the world would you want them to go… oh."
Rydia nodded. "They need to get out of here, and there's only one way to ensure they leave. Make sure they get the message."
Cole swallowed and nodded. She wasn't as helpless as she let everyone believe, she was a wolf after all, regardless of gender, but Rydia carried an inexplicably powerful aura of authority that few dared defy.
"Good," Rydia said, turning to leave. "Boys, no, wolves like them, still so free and unburdened by the world, don't belong in a hell hole like this place."
Coincidentally, the pack had decided to take refuge in the same building that Rydia had been watching them from, and for the same reason; It had a roof.
Perhaps it wasn't so much of a coincidence after all.
"So tell me," Tsume said mockingly from his spot on the floor, "you still believe in it?"
Kiba's head turned away from the view of the graveyard out the door and his musings about what it was these wolves were hiding, and the occasional thought of that she-wolf, his face more of a void than usual. "Believe in what?"
"Paradise," Tsume replied, trying not to let his exasperation show, even though his back was to the white wolf. "There's no such place."
Kiba was silent.
"They said they'd been there, and apparently it was no paradise," the gray wolf said, a growl creeping into his voice. As if to make up for his silence earlier, Kiba responded immediately.
"Well, maybe what they found wasn't the real Paradise," he said, and though it was phrased like a suggestion, he was positive they hadn't.
Though he didn't laugh outright, the others could hear it escaping in his tone. "Where the heck does all that confidence come from?" Tsume asked rhetorically.
Kiba, once again, didn't answer, and though he didn't let it show, he wasn't too sure either.
"Anyway," Tsume continued. "You know it's hopeless. There's no way to guarantee that we'll ever reach it either." That was the gray wolf for you, ever the pessimist, ever aggressive and challenging Kiba at every turn. "We'd be stupid to keep going."
"Don't say that!" Toboe pleaded, sensing the impending storm and trying to calm it from his seat against the wall that held up the doorway. "Besides, getting angry only makes you hungrier!"
None of the wolves, even the food expert Hige were sure if that was true, but if the two things were indeed connected, it would explain Tsume's mood.
As if he felt the need to cement his role in the pack as a pessimist even further, the eldest of the pack continued heedless of the Runt's pleas. "Maybe we should just hang around here and die in the gutter," he said as he reclined against the rubble, "start digging some graves like that old man."
All this time, though he knew Tsume hadn't wanted or expected an answer to his previous question, Kiba had been pondering it. Why? He wanted to know himself. What was that voice in his mind, constantly calling him, driving his very instincts.
"It's not confidence," he finally decided, speaking his thoughts aloud. Tsume turned toward him.
"I'm not really sure what it is," He admitted, the smallest bit of emotion, a cross between a hysterical laugh and a cry of frustration, creeping into his voice, though his face was as emotionless as ever. "but it's always there, screaming inside of me."
Having turned away from the pack while his thoughts consumed him earlier, and still not facing them now, he lifted his gaze from the ground to the sky, and the smog-shadowed moon. "I just have to know, I have to get there, that's why I've kept running all this time."
Though he spoke of running, and most would interpret it as his running away, the tone of his voice told of running for days and nights on end to reach his goal, and his determination to get there.
"I can't imagine living, without believing in it," Kiba continued. Even Tsume was silent. Perhaps it was the white wolf's usual silence that caused them all to listen so intently when he did speak. Maybe it was the confidence in his voice that made it almost impossible to ignore. All the pack watched Kiba with varied expressions, from Toboe's wide eyes to Tsume's unreadable gaze to Hige's-
Sleeping face.
Though how deeply the male was sleeping was thrown into question when his nose began to twitch as he caught a scent on the wind. His eyes opened and he shot up into a sitting position as Cole rounded the corner, a smile on her face. "You boys must be starving by now."
From her vantage point, downwind of the wolves, Rydia watched Kiba leave soon after Cole joined them, quickly followed by Toboe. When the white wolf didn't answer his questions, the runt ran back to his pack to tell them, only for Tsume to leave on his own as well.
"One by one, they fall apart," She murmured to herself, as the youngest followed the oldest off somewhere. "If they stay here too much longer, there will be no reconciliation." The pair seemed like they were heading in the general direction of the station, even if they didn't know it. The she-wolf smiled. Fate was kind. The only loose end was the white wolf who had left first, but he would eventually go to the station to find his pack mates. Then, they would all leave. And a good thing too. "The sooner they leave, the better."
With that, Rydia stood, and went back to her apartment. She had one last test to preform before she could truly say she could learn no more from this place.
Because she had taken refuge from the night inside her apartment, the brunette didn't see Kiba wandering the streets, thinking about the day's events, about the she-wolf, about his sister. The reason he so desperately wanted to find Paradise.
He didn't even realize his wanderings had lead him past Zali's camp, until he heard the obnoxious wolf from earlier call out to him.
"Why the long face?" Moss asked. "Giving up on going to Paradise?" His questions earning a few chuckles from his cronies, but not affecting Kiba in the slightest, too lost in his thoughts to care for the words of a few city wolves.
"It's not safe for a kid to wander around by himself you know," Said another, the challenge in his voice clear, as well as his emphasis on the word 'kid'.
"You should move with your pack," Added a third.
Kiba stopped, looking at them with an unreadable expression, but a fire in his eyes. "What are you guys doing, just standing around with no purpose?" He asked, though he, like his pack mate earlier, didn't seem to care for an answer. He did make sure they heard the answering challenge in his voice though.
"What did you say?" Orange hat growled, his buddies still and staring openly at the wolf who dared challenge them by himself. Kiba was a little surprised at himself as well, some of Keshu's impulsiveness leaking into his actions, but didn't back down.
"I know why you weren't able to get to Paradise," He continued. "You're nothing but a pack of dogs," the wolf spat. This felt good. He needed a fight to clear his head, to exhaust him to the point of falling asleep without fear of dreaming of his sister, and he knew they'd give him one.
The pack stared at him in shock, before seeming to regain what little wits they had. "Why you little punk," Moss growled, turning to Kiba, he and his pack closing in around him, filling the night with their growls. It was six against one.
Kiba's eyes narrowed as he let out a growl as well, his hair standing on end even in his human form. He shed his human skin and leapt at them, the growls and blows filling the night air.
Spread out over the city, the rag-tag pack lay, some trying to find that elusive creature sleep, while some couldn't keep it away. Despite this, all heard Toboe's howl to the moon from atop the station, and the sorrow that they had been separated it carried. Hige simply turned over in his sleep, while Tsume's expression grew pensive, his younger companion's sorrows all too familiar to him. Even Kiba, covered in gashes and bruises already starting to change color, heard his call as he stumbled into an alleyway, and sank down onto the ground against the wall, curling into a ball in an attempt to keep warm. To him, he heard not one, but two howls in the night. Toboe's, and Keshu's. She seemed to call out to him, pleading with him to come find her, to return to her and end her loneliness.
Trying desperately to reach out to her was the last thing he remembered before blacking out.
Rydia grumbled. Just following her instincts all the time was getting to be a pain. She had just been relaxing in her shabby little apartment, taking care of her plants, when she felt a sudden impulse to go outside and take a walk.
Well that was a brilliant idea. It was dark, and cold, and she could smell blood-
Wait.
Blood?
That wasn't necessarily out of place, but she knew the scent of the city wolves' blood, her claws had been stained in it often enough, and this wasn't it. This was different. Following her nose, she walked past Zali's camp, baring her fangs at anyone who dared try speak to her, following the scent. It was fresh, and from the looks of the city wolves, there had been a fight recently. Figures that they would be the ones stirring up trouble.
After she continued walking for a ways, she found the source of the coppery scent. Lying unconscious in a dirty alleyway, shivering in the cold and bleeding from numerous wounds was the white wolf she had seen earlier.
All previous feelings of fear or apprehension at being anywhere near this wolf were completely smothered by a single thought. She didn't know why, but she knew she needed to help him. More than a gut feeling, much more than logic, she knew in her heart that this wolf was very important, and that he needed her help.
Gently, carefully, she bent down and pulled his arm around her shoulders, then with her other arm held his side, pulling him closer to her. The movement woke him, but he was bleary from blood loss and several hits he had taken to the head. When he realized he was being held up, he weakly tried to pull away.
"Shh, shh, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you. It's alright. I'm going to get you fixed up. It's alright." She spoke with uncharacteristic gentleness. She wasn't sure why, but something about his presence brought out a maternal side in her. She wanted to care for him, and keep him safe.
Her soft tone seemed to comfort him, and he stopped struggling, instead just tried to carry some of his own weight by weakly placing one foot in front of another, almost walking, but still leaning heavily on Rydia's slim, yet sturdy frame.
The she wolf took slow steps, allowing him to be able to keep up with his own unsteady footfalls. Slowly, they made their way down the street, and it was with a grimace that Rydia realized that they were going to pass Zali's camp again. As she suspected they were the ones who had done this to him, she knew a confrontation was inevitable.
As they passed said camp, all talk went quiet. The city wolves were shocked. There was the infamous, mad she-wolf who, when asked for the time of day would respond with her teeth in your fur, almost carrying the kid they had beaten not an hour ago. Moss saw this as weakness, and decided that now was as good a time as ever to make a move, again. He stepped in front of Rydia and said with a grin, "Ya gotta pay to pass through here."
Said she wolf growled. "Move it Moss. Or I'll move you."
Moss clucked his tongue at her. "Aw, come on now 'Ry. No need to be so harsh. I just got a question, see? Now, what's a very good looking female like yourself doing with a piece of forest born trash like that?"
Rydia's growl depend. "That's none of your concern. The only trash I see is standing in my way anyway."
Moss chuckled. "Oh, I see what this is. I can't believe you'd do something like that though. I mean, we did call first." The city wolf said as his buddies began to grin and gather behind her and Moss. "We've known each other for a good three years, and you can't have known him for more than a day. Just isn't fair you know, and we can't stand when things aren't fair, now can we boys?"
The other wolves began to holler their agreement, as they moved in closer, eyes shining maliciously. Moss shrugged. "Guess we just have to take what's ours."
Hazy as his mind was, from blood loss and blows, Kiba could feel the malicious intent flowing off the other wolves, and heard every word. Mongrels... He thought. A bunch of males ganging up on a female with the intentions they had, be they wolves or humans, wasn't a good situation. He tried to lift his head, to stand, anything, but found he lacked the strength needed to do so. He cursed himself for being so weak. He didn't know why, but despite the warnings he had gotten, he wanted desperately to protect this mysterious she-wolf.
Rydia growled. She'd never show it, but she was starting to get nervous. It was one of the problems with being a female. The males always had the upper hand. But before the fear could spread, she turned that fear into rage. She was beyond mad, she was livid. They thought that they could intimidate her wish sheer numbers? They weren't fit to lick her boots! How dare they talk to her that way!
Despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins and filling her with herculean strength, along with the potent mixture of anger and fear that was raging inside her, she set Kiba down on the ground with exceeding care and gentleness. She helped him to lean against the alley wall as the other wolves laughed. "Awww, is the little girl going to try to fight?" They cooed, but froze with fear when she fixed them with a stormy eyed glare, the same predatory look in her eye she had given Yamataze that day so many years ago. Her aura of power, saturated with rage and blood lust was tangible, and almost visible as her human guise flickered. It rolled off her in waves, choking the cowardly wolves as her eyes seemed turn a eerie, glowing yellow. This combined with the oppressive and dangerous atmosphere that had descended left the pack shaking in their worn down boots. It was as if instead of one she-wolf, they were facing an entire pack of ancient, powerful wolves who all thirsted for their blood. It was at this moment, while the hapless mutts were paralyzed with fear, that Rydia shed her human form, and leapt straight at Moss' s face.
Kiba faded in and out of consciousness, wondering each time he awoke if he was dreaming, because what he saw was nothing like anything he had seen before. He saw a she wolf, switching between human and wolf forms mid battle as they were needed. She was fighting almost a dozen males who were all larger and stronger than her, yet she seemed to be winning. She fought like a one wolf pack, and no one seemed to be able to touch her. She was grinning as she fought, as if she enjoyed the challenge.
The thrill of the battle and the adrenaline pumping through her veins was something she had almost forgotten. Regardless, her body hadn't forgotten the moves and seemed to have a mind of it's own, as she went into autopilot, her instincts taking over. Right punch, duck, sweep the legs, pounce, bite, claw, spin, bite, shake, toss, jump…
It wasn't long before Kiba once again felt the warmth of the she wolf's body against his as she lifted him up off the ground. He tried to get his legs to move, to take some of his weight from her, but she shushed him, telling him to rest, and to let her take care of him. He reluctantly let her carry his weight, which she did with surprising ease. Slowly, the last of the white wolf's strength faded away, and he fell unconscious.
Sound. That's what registered first as he awoke from his mercifully dreamless sleep. He heard the sound of gently flowing water, the whisper of leaves brushing against each other, and a someone singing quietly, as if they didn't wish to be heard. The voice was gentle, calming, and oddly familiar, like an echo from a long forgotten dream. A dream of warmth, security, of being surrounded by a loving family, of the beautiful singing of a litter mate that had given her her name.
Keshu… Kiba thought to himself as he was able to make out the words of the tune.
Come little children, I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment.
Come little children, The time's come to play,
Here in my garden of Shadows.
Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way,
Through all the pain and the sorrows.
Weep not poor children, For life is this way,
Murdering beauty and passions.
Hush now dear children, It must be this way,
To weary of life and deceptions.
Rest now my children, For soon we'll away,
Into the calm and the quiet.
Come little children, I'll take thee away,
Into a land of enchantment.
Come little children, The time's come to play,
Here in my garden of Shadows.
The tune repeated itself over and over again, sometimes hummed, sometimes sung. No, this wasn't Keshu. Keshu would never sing so sadly, his litter mate's voice was like a summer breeze, warm and playful. The voice of this singer was more like that of the winter wind, sorrowful as it bore the white flakes of the cold, desolate season. It was beautiful, yes, even mysterious, but lacking any warmth. It confused him.
This was not the only thing to confuse him however. As he again became aware of his physical body, he realized that the pain of his wounds was not nearly as bad as he had anticipated after that fight. His joints weren't even sore from the cold, or spending the night in that alleyway. What he felt beneath him did not feel like an alley, however; it felt like thick, warm furs, piled in layers and forming a cushion underneath him.
The air was warm, and, he realized as his sense of smell returned to him, smelled of growth, of soil and various plants. It was a comforting scent, one that reminded him of the lush forests he so missed. Yet one of the strongest scents was that of another wolf. It was both fresh and stale, suggesting the wolf in question frequented this place, and was still here.
He heard footsteps, the gentle sound of bare feet on a wooden floor, then felt something cool wipe at his face and come to rest on his forehead. He felt someone lift his arm with nimble, yet gentle fingers, and begin to unwrap something from around his appendage. The wound there began to sting until a paste-like, strong smelling substance was dabbed on it, the pain dulling almost instantly. Whoever it was that was caring for him began to re-wrap his arm, then with a rustle of fabric and the muted clink of pottery, the presence and the footsteps faded from his side.
It was then that the white wolf slowly opened his stormy blue eyes. Looking to his arm, he saw it has been bandaged, along with all of his other wounds. His chest was a mess of the white fabric strips, where the majority of his wounds had been. The legs of his jeans had been rolled up to treat the various cuts and bruises, and a slight pressure around his head told him that wound had been treated as well. Looking to the right, he saw that his jacket and shirt had been cleaned and folded, and were resting on a chair that sat by his head.
As he located the only source of light in the dimly lit room, a blazing fire in the fireplace , he noticed some very strange things. First, there was a cauldron or pot of some sort hanging above the fire, and hanging on hooks attached to the mantle were white strips of fabric, hung there to dry by the fire, along with a long black scarf and a white fleece jacket. Second, various plants sat thriving on tables, hanging from the ceiling, and all but covering the floor. Third, but most curious of all, was the presence of the she wolf from earlier. Her gray sweater, stained with blood lay on the floor near the fire before it was retrieved by its' owner, who placed it into the vessel hanging over the fire along with a few strips of bandages. The she-wolf herself knelt by the fire the flames casting a warm glow on her fine features and otherwise pale exposed skin, as she was clad in nothing but a black tank top and her jeans. She tied her long, unruly hair back with an elastic and carefully pulled a tea kettle from the edge of the fire. Standing, she plucked a small cup from off the mantle, and, once she had selected the leaves from various plants and placed them inside the vessel, poured the hot water from the kettle in with the herbs. No sooner had she replaced the kettle on the hearth however, than there was a knock at the door.
The she wolf cursed quietly, and looked around furtively for a moment before snatching her jacket from above the fire and shrugging it on, wincing slightly as she did so. She grabbed a paper envelope from the mantle and went to the door, which was far to the right of the fire, and out of Kiba's range of vision at the moment. He could still hear, however, the exchange of voices from the doorway. He payed them no mind, however, as a hundred questions began to make themselves known in in his mind.
Why was he here? Why was she here? What had happened? He thought back to his fight with the city wolves, how he collapsed in an alley, and it was then that he remembered. The gentle and soothing words of a faceless, but female figure, the confrontation with the city mutts, and the lone she-wolf that fought like fifty wolves. The same she-wolf that was now speaking with the human at the door.
"I can never thank you enough! He's been so ill for so long, and it pains him that he can't help me like he's used to." The voice was female, and elderly, that much he could tell.
"It's no trouble at all. I enjoy being able to help others." This was the she-wolf. He hadn't heard her speak before, except in a semi-conscious state, but it held none of the hate or aggression he had thought it would based on their first encounter.
"You're such a bright spirit my dear, this city would be even colder and darker without you in it," The old lady said, followed by a soft grunt of pain from the younger woman.
"Are you alright child? You're not hurt are you?" The elderly woman asked, concern thickly laced in her voice. This caught Kiba's attention. Was there something wrong with her?
"I'm fine Mrs. Brisby. Nothing to worry about," the teen assured her, but sighed when Mrs. Brisby insisted on her taking off the jacket.
"My goodness child! What happened to you? It looks like you were attacked by some great beast!" The elderly woman exclaimed.
"I'm alright Mrs. Brisby, It's just a scratch."
"Just a scratch? Nonsense! Your shoulder looks like it's been torn to shreds! How did this happen?"
"One of Zali's dogs got loose yesterday," the brunette admitted with a sigh. "I was helping catch it and it clipped me. Really, it's nothing to worry about."
"Oh those dogs," the old woman grumbled. "More trouble than they're worth I say, and you seem to always get stuck cleaning up after their messes. I know this isn't the first time this has happened, and it frightens me to think that one day it might be your throat instead of your neck. They put the creature down at least?"
"Yes, they did."
"That's a relief. Promise me you'll be safe though, won't you?"
"Of course. Goodbye Mrs. Brisby."
The door shut, but strangely enough, there was no tell-tale click of the lock. He followed her with his eyes when she reentered his line of sight as she removed her jacket once again and hung it on a hook in the wall. He stared at her now bared shoulder as she stirred the still steaming cup and added a few powdered herbs to it. It was obvious that she'd been bitten in the fight last night, the fang marks were still bloody and ragged, and stood out starkly against her pale shoulder. How he had missed them before was beyond him. Other cuts and scratches marred her skin, along with pale scars of all shapes and sizes. Some of the scratches were fresh, but none of them were anywhere near as serious as the wound on her shoulder. For the life of him, he couldn't figure out why he was so worried about a stranger he'd only just met.
After a moment, the she-wolf picked up the cup and carried it over to the white wolf lying on her bed of animal furs. He didn't try to hide the fact that he was awake, he didn't see a reason to. When she knelt at his side, the scent of her blood, strangely bitter-sweet, washed over him. Her shoulder must have been hurting her, yet she betrayed not a trace of pain. "Can you sit up?" She asked calmly. Kiba shrugged and attempted to push himself up into a sitting position, but found he lacked the strength, his limbs stiff and the just a bit sore from the beating he had taken the previous night.
The she-wolf sat the cup down on the same chair where his shirt and jacket rested, and helped him into a sitting position. Her hands were surprisingly gentle, and at such close proximity, he was able to catch her scent beneath the smell of her blood. She smelled like a summer thunderstorm, traces of ozone blended in with rain and the damp earth. The tang of herbs clung to her like a blanket, but beneath it all, just there, was the scent of Lunar Flowers. It was just as the old wolf had said, and it had a calming effect on his nerves.
Once he was sitting upright, she pressed the cup into his hands. "Drink," she said, her voice somehow soothing and firm at the same time. "It'll give you your strength back."
The white wolf's skepticism, unbeknownst to him, was written on his face as plain as day, causing the she-wolf to chuckle. "If I wanted you dead, I'd have left you in that alley." She said as she stood and crossed to the fireplace, plucking a few dried leaves from the branches that hung above it and placing them in a small bowl.
The blue eyed male sniffed the contents of the cup suspiciously, but after he deemed that it was safe, bitter herbal scent aside, he downed the entire concoction.
"Why?" He asked after finishing the drink, his voice a little hoarse after not being used for a while. "Why would you help me? What does it matter to you if I live or die? We don't know each other, so why?"
She stopped, then slowly turned to face him. "I know it sounds crazy, but it feels like I do know you. It was just, instinct."
Silence filled the room for a few moments as the she-wolf turned and began watering the various plants scattered around the room, but eventually she spoke again. "You and your pack don't smell like the kind of wolves who frequent dumps like this. What are you doing here anyway?" She asked.
"I could ask you the same." he replied, not sure what prompted him to respond in such a way.
The she wolf looked back at him over her shoulder. "But I asked first."
Kiba could see the frustration building in her eyes, and sighed internally, deciding that she deserved a straight answer. "We're looking for paradise. We followed the scent of lunar flowers to this city."
The female froze, then turned again, returning to her plants.
"Lunar Flowers and Paradise, huh? Now that's something I haven't heard about for a long time. Not since..." she trailed off, seeming to loose her train of thought. She shook her head and put down the watering can. "Have you found Cheza yet?" she asked as she crossed the room to sit on the chair nearest him.
Kiba's eyes widened. "You know about The Flower Maiden?"
The female snorted. "I probably know more about her than you do. I managed to blend in with a bunch of scientists working for some noble or another, and learned quite a bit. First, Cheza is A Flower Maiden. Not THE Flower Maiden." She said, emphasizing the 'A' and 'The'
"What are you talking about?" The injured wolf questioned.
"THE Flower Maiden would be a perfect being formed from Lunar Flowers. Anything created by mortal hands, be they Human, Wolf or Noble, is not perfect. She is very close, yes, but not perfect. Due to her seemingly eternal youth, the world thought that they had done it, but they neglected to see, that she cannot. Cheza is blind, and there is nothing anyone can do about it. There are some things even a Noble can't do." She explained, though the last sentence was spoken softer than the others. The steel returned to her voice and eyes, however, when she continued.
"Even if you were to find her, there is no guarantee she could lead you to Paradise. And even on the slight chance that she could, what then? You reach Paradise, then what? Sit in bliss for all eternity? Though no one wants pain or hardship, they give us purpose and shape us into who we are. Besides, if life has no purpose you're dead already. Even a life in Paradise."
'If life has no purpose you're dead already...' those words rang through the white wolf's head. They were the same words he spoke to Tsume before they left Freeze City. How did she know?
"I guess I'll figure that out when I get there." Kiba said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed of furs.
"You're not really one to think before you leap are you?" The female asked as he rolled down the legs of his pants, tied his shoes, and pulled on his shirt and jacket, making no sound though his wounds protested the movement.
"Do you even know where your pack is?" She asked condescendingly. "I'm a pretty good healer, but you're still in no condition to go wandering around the city."
Kiba made no sound, simply stood and made for the door.
The brunette female sighed. "It's standard procedure here for Zali to try to intimidate any new wolves, then Cole goes to offer them a way to get food," she lied. "But it's not something you would like. Most don't, and are so disgusted they leave, which is what they were attempting to accomplish from the beginning. Only those with no where to go and no pride to lose stay."
Kiba stopped and turned around. "Cole? The female with dark purple hair?"
She nodded. "That's her. So she came to see you last night?" she asked, giving no clues of her involvement.
"Yeah, she brought food. I left before I heard anything else."
The she-wolf nodded and snatched her sweater off the ground, inspecting the blood stains as she spoke. "She probably told them to go to the train station," she said as she pulled it on, paying no mind to her injuries and plucking her jacket off the wall. "That's where they get their food, and how they'll get you and your pack to leave. I can take you there, but that's as far as I go. I stay out of that place at all costs," the brunette said as she wrapped her scarf around her neck.
Kiba nodded, and stepped aside as she opened the door and followed her down the stairs.
"I never caught your name." She said as they descended the stairs.
"I didn't give it."
"Smart aleck." She said, halfway between amused and annoyed. "Fine, what's your name?" She asked.
"Kiba." He replied. "Yours?"
"Rydia." She said simply. Kiba nodded.
Once they were back on the streets, the overwhelming scent of the city slammed the two wolves in the face. "I'll never understand how humans can put up with this stench, let alone wolves." Rydia said, voice muffled as she buried her nose in the crook of her arm.
"Then why are you here?" Kiba asked.
"I have my reasons." she replied evasively as they set off at a brisk pace for the train station. They didn't speak the rest of the way, and once they got there, Rydia slowed to a halt. "This is as far as I go. For your own sake, get your pack and get out."
With that, she forsook her human form for her white furred lupine one, and ran back the way she had come.
'There's something about her. Something so familiar, yet so alien.' Kiba thought, but the thought disappeared as he walked through the doors of the train station and saw something that made him so mad, his fur stood on end.
He saw Gramps drop dead.
He tore up the ramp, the only thought on his mind being to kill every one of those humans, and when Zali suddenly stood in his way, he didn't hesitate to attack. However, due to his injuries or the older wolf's years of experience, he soon found himself pinned in the other Alpha's arms, with no way to escape. Cries of "Stray dog loose!" went up among the humans as they dashed to Zali's aid. Tsume gripped the railing so hard it nearly bent from his place above, watching it all unfold. Toboe was terrified, he'd never seen anything like what these wolves did, and he'd never seen Kiba this angry. Hige shared the runt's feelings.
Cole watched out of sight, a pained look in her eyes. 'There's no doubt they'll leave now,' She thought. 'But did it have to be like this, Rydia?'
Her task complete, Cole disappeared.
Later that day, Gramps was buried.
His pack gathered around the now lifeless body, laid to rest in the hole he dug with his own paws. Even Habaasa was there, albeit only watching from a rooftop thirty feet or so away, out of sight of the others.
"I thought I told you not to interfere," Zali said coldly, his words directed at the white wolf clutching his shoulder as he sat on the ground, leaning against a tombstone. "We have our own way of doing things around here."
"Living like a bunch of down and out strays," Kiba choked out, causing Zali to raise an eyebrow. "Clinging to this disgusting place," He continued as his eyes narrowed, anger obvious on his scarred face."And doing what you do, how can you call that a life?" the white wolf demanded.
"What the hell do you know about it?" Zali shouted back, emotion slipping onto the older Alpha's face as well.
Kiba continued to glare at him. "You're pathetic."
Zali held his gaze for a while longer before turning back to Gramps' grave. "You kids," He sighed, his voice significantly softer, "are still young."
'But what does age matter, really?' Rydia thought from her rooftop seat. 'I've seen just as much as you have, Zali, and I'm a third of your age. But I suppose,' she reasoned as she jumped down and walked off, 'That what you're really saying is they still have a chance to do better. I wonder, do you mean me as well?'
"Because," She said aloud, closing her eyes as the few memories of her past she had flowed back to her, "you would still be wrong."
(1) Doesn't everything give you the willies, Toboe? I mean, don't get me wrong, I adore the pup, but Wolf up! Seriously!
I just wanted to clear something up: Kiba is an Alpha, but he's not the Alpha of the pack. So yeah.
I DID IT! AT 13,392 WORDS, I HAVE FINISHED CHAPTER TWO! It's also 11:30 at night, but I DON'T CARE! Yeah, this was a long one, and I think I'll split up chapters from now on, or just do less dialogue from the anime, because otherwise, it's gonna take another year to get the next chapter out between AP classes, Field show, and the Fall Musical.
What did you think of Habaasa? Was anyone terribly OOC? How was my interpretation of what's going through Kiba's head when he's not talking? I do intend to show other characters' thoughts more in the next chapters, but this chapter I had to build up a lot of plot with.
Alright, I'll shut up now. Thanks again to everyone who has helped me get this chapter done, from my PHENOMINAL Beta to all those who followed, favorited, reviewed, or just looked at it. I love you guys!
Let's meet again, next time, in Chapter three.
~Dawn
Edited: 5/9/2016
So I changed Rydia's name and appearance. Fight me. It's my story, I do what I want. 3